Human eyesight is such a limiting factor in military missions that DARPA is trying to fix it. Not with lasers; those are reserved for ships, but instead with a new infrared camera using pixels only five microns wide.
Smaller pixels mean a high-resolution image can be captured in a tinier package. There are existing miniaturized infrared cameras, but their pixels are about three times the size of DARPA's latest, and their resolution is at best half as good. The new technology has made it possible for the portable camera pictured above to do the work of the sort of long-wave infrared (LWIR) camera that till now has required a truck to carry.
‘Google Glass is a technical masterpiece’ German designer Martin Missfeldt said. He just created the graphics to show us how they work. ‘It combines numerous functions and features in a very small unit. In addition to phone and camera (photo, video), it offers Internet connection, including GPS.’
Depending on how you wear the Google Glass, the layer appears in the upper right corner or in the middle of the visual field. When the Google Glass is high on the nose, so that you can practically see through underneath, you must turn the eye up to view the image sharp.
ScreenSamsung Galaxy S4Perhaps the most striking thing about the GS4 is its massive 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display. It also features a sharp 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and a pixel density of 441ppi (pixels per inch). HTC One
HTC gave the One a 4.7-inch LCD screen that's slightly smaller than the Galaxy S4's but boasts the same 1,920x1,080 resolution. As a result, the HTC One's display has a higher pixel density of 468ppi.
Assessment
We have introduced many nice leather wallets, but if you want some unique options made with special materials, the following ezgo slim wallet may be able to draw your more attention. Ezgo is an innovative and practical wallet that measures 89 x 71 x 16mm and weights 23g. As we can see from the images, the wallet features ultra slim, unibody design, and is made from strong, flexible and polished polyamide for durable and lightweight construction, the slim wallet even can float on the water. Using its two card slots and a main compartment the slim wallet is able to hold up to 8 credit cards and 12 bills, while two extra slots hold one standard SD card and two microSD cards. Apart from that, the slim wallet is easy to clean and rinse. At present the inventor of ezgo wallet is raising fund at Kickstarter. Pledging $30 will let you own the slim wallet. If you’re interested, jump to Kickstarter official site for more details :
The new iLumi, unveiled this week on Indiegogo, is an energy-efficient LED bulb that lasts for 20 years and can be controlled by any smartphone. The bulb features iLumi’s HyperLux technology, which allows it to be programmed to display millions of colors and makes it one of the brightest bulbs around. The bluetooth-capable iLumi is available in four different models and starts at $59. The iLumi ditches wires by utilizing bluetooth technology.
Intex Technologies has launched Intex Aqua Wonder Quadcore for Rs. 9,990. We had reported about the impending launch of this device carrying a price tag of less than Rs. 10,000 earlier this month.
Intex Aqua Wonder Quadcore features a 4.5-inch capacitive 540x960 touchscreen with IPS panel screen technology. It is powered by MediaTek MT6589 quad-core processor and comes with 512MB of RAM. The smartphone has a 1.93GB of internal storage, of which 1.93 GB is user accessible. The internal storage can be expanded by up to 32GB through a microSD card.
It runs on the Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean). For camera, there is an 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with dual LED flash and 2-megapixel one on the front. Intex Aqua Wonder Quadcore is a dual-SIM smartphone (WCDMA+GSM). Other connectivity options include 3G video calling, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth 4.0.
The Lapel Torch grew out of customer feedback on the headlamp. Biggest benefit? Hands-free, baby! Drawback? Well, the thing has to attach to your noggin, and higher impact activities like jogging can jostle them off. Plus, “They look funny, and you often end up pointing them into your friends’ eyes when talking,” the brand’s Joey Tuma tells Co.Design. “We wanted a light where you get the same functions, without the same issues.”
Enter the versatile Lapel Torch. The rounded profile of the small LED light source nestles perfectly into the concave shape of the silicone clip.
Google's next generation of Nexus 7 tablets from ASUS will be Qualcomm-powered and arrive this July, according to Reuters. If its sources are to be believed, Mountain View is aiming to ship eight million units by the end of the year, showing it has a lot of confidence in the upcoming model. Other leaked info claims more screen resolution, a thinner bezel and an unspecified Qualcomm CPU instead of the current model's NVIDIA Tegra 3, possibly to save power. There's no info on pricing or other specs and Google's not speaking at this point, of course -- but if it proves accurate, hopefully the two companies have learned their lesson from the current model's runaway success and will ramp production accordingly.
Designed by Italian label Alessi this wood chewing beaver pencil sharpener provides a fun spin on your traditional pencil sharpener design-and is much more effective than having a real beaver do it. Doubling as a paper weight, the chrome-plated piece was presented at the 2013 Maison & Objet show in Paris. In true Alessi style, the design is both fun and functional.
![Photo: Google “Glass” Headset to be Made in the United States
Google will be manufacturing its “Glass” eyewear in Silicon Valley, a move that the Financial Times hails as a “high-profile example of the return of electronics manufacturing to the U.S.” The technology giant will be working with Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Taiwanese firm better known as Foxconn, to assemble the futuristic eyewear at a facility in Santa Clara in California. Tim Bradshaw reports that only a few thousand of the devices will roll off the factory line in the coming weeks, compared with the millions of Apple products Foxconn typically cranks out in China. “Manufacturing locally will allow Google’s engineers to be closely involved with the production process and provide more opportunities for last-minute fixes and for personal customization,” Bradshaw writes. “Such moves may also blaze a trail for Silicon Valley’s resurgent community of hardware start-ups, which remain largely reliant on cheaper offshore manufacturing.”
Google announced on Wednesday that it has selected the 8,000 people who will be allowed to buy a test version of Glass.
Google announced on Wednesday that it has selected the 8,000 people who will be allowed to preorder a test version of Glass for $1,500 apiece. The company began notifying the winners on Tuesday.
[Via the Financial Times]](https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/p480x480/292239_238395206303236_1287655705_n.jpg)
Google will be manufacturing its “Glass” eyewear in Silicon Valley, a move that the Financial Times hails as a “high-profile example of the return of electronics manufacturing to the U.S.” The technology giant will be working with Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Taiwanese firm better known as Foxconn, to assemble the futuristic eyewear at a facility in Santa Clara in California. Tim Bradshaw reports that only a few thousand of the devices will roll off the factory line in the coming weeks, compared with the millions of Apple products Foxconn typically cranks out in China. “Manufacturing locally will allow Google’s engineers to be closely involved with the production process and provide more opportunities for last-minute fixes and for personal customization,” Bradshaw writes. “Such moves may also blaze a trail for Silicon Valley’s resurgent community of hardware start-ups, which remain largely reliant on cheaper offshore manufacturing.”
Google announced on Wednesday that it has selected the 8,000 people who will be allowed to buy a test version of Glass.
Google announced on Wednesday that it has selected the 8,000 people who will be allowed to preorder a test version of Glass for $1,500 apiece. The company began notifying the winners on Tuesday.
[Via the Financial Times]
If you're tired of the iPhone's boring black or white color options, but would also like to avoid a bulky case or letting Colorware have at it with your device, you might want to check out Clear-Coat's new color-changing Aurora skin.
The $35 self-adhesive decal is applied to your iPhone the same way as a screen protector, but it includes panels to cover almost every inch of the device. And thanks to an iridescent finish, the Aurora skin has an ever-changing rainbow tint that lets you customize your iPhone's finish by just moving it about. Don't like orange? Just move two degrees to the right and you'll be happy.
This invisible bike comes from the great minds at Design Affairs. At first glance, it looks like a solid black frame, however when it's moved in front of the white wall, it changes colors. Well, it doesn't actually change colors, you just see the color behind it.
This invisible bike is called the Charity Bike and could be the first of a string of bikes using new materials like advanced polymer. Polymer is advantageous in bike frames because it provides formidable resistance to impact, is lightweight and exceptionally flexible.
This invisible bike frame can withstand exposure to almost any chemical as well as any temperature without wearing down. The only drawback to this design is it has a lower density than polycarbonate and acrylic, which are used in most bike frames.
Designer Seden Craig said it best- “this ain’t your granddaddy’s rocking chair!” The skeletal design was inspired by slatted furniture as well as topography models making it a unique, modern twist on the conventional rocker that’s defined by linear wood slides contrasted with a white facade on top. It’s an interesting alternative to both the outdoor adirondack or indoor rocker.
Designer: Seden Craig
German technology company Festo has unveiled the BionicOpter, a fully functional robotic dragonfly. It can fly forwards, backwards, hover and even fly sideways—just like a real dragonfly. Its introduction marks another step forward in robotics engineering. The BionicOpter isn't as tiny as its natural counterpart—it's approximately 19 inches long with a wingspan of just over 27 inches. But it looks a lot like the real thing with its dual pair of wings operating independently affixed to its rail thin body and slightly bulbous light blue head. It weighs, remarkably, just 175gms. Festo hasn't yet demoed the BionicOpter to a live audience just yet—thus far pictures and video posted on the company's site are the only evidence of its existence. But all that is to change as the company will be giving a demonstration of their new robotic insect at the upcoming Hannover Messe technology fair in Germany. Festo claims it has mastered the technically complex process involved in dragonfly flight. That's no small boast. The dragonfly is a master flyer—it can hover, fly backwards, even glide with no wing movement at all. Robots that can mimic such flight would have more capabilities than planes or helicopters, or even quadcopters (they can't glide when turned off). That it is able to do so with all of its "brains" (and a battery) tucked inside such a tiny little frame is truly remarkable. Its wings—made of foil and carbon-fiber—are moved by individual tiny servo-motors that allow for 90 degrees of adjustment—all controlled by a single ARM microprocessor. They can generate thrust in all directions. Flight is controlled by adjusting for wing flapping speed, amplitude and twist. The BionicOpter has 13 degrees of freedom—9 from the wings and 4 from head and tail movement. The company hasn't divulged any planned use for such a flying robot—as it presently exists, it appears it's little more than a display of technical brilliance—but, it's not difficult to see how others might tweak the design a little bit to add functionality. Adding a stinger for example, or a camera, or more menacingly, explosives or hazardous chemicals to create a very lethal weapon might not be out of the realm of possibility. More optimistically, the design appears to open the door to the opportunity of a new form of human flight—if the robot were to be made bigger, rather than smaller—perhaps it could carry a person inside.
The chief executive of one of Europe’s largest wireless carriers claims the reason sales of Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone are slumping is because the price is too high. France Telecom CEO Stephane Richard told Bloomberg that European customers are beginning to focus more on prices and are holding onto their old devices longer than before. He notes that the Apple frenzy isn’t what it use to be and it is becoming more difficult to sell a $600 phone. Richard seemed to suggest that without a low-cost iPhone, the company could continue to lose market share, adding that there “are fewer early adopters, and probably with the next release of the iPhone this will be evident.”
It was only last year that NASA reported the development of a real world impulse drive, one that runs on dilithium crystals no less. And there was much rejoicing. But the Star Wars vs Star Trek debate knows no bounds. None, I tell you.
This year — in fact this very week — researchers at MIT have announced that they are developing a powerful "Ionic Wind" engine, capable of outperforming conventional jet engines. This is not a new concept, as any Star Wars fan knows. For crying out loud, the TIE in "TIE Fighter" stands for Twin Ion Engine. Ionic wind power has also been around for a while in the real world, but that's beside the point.
What really matters is that, hot on the heels of a Star Trek engine, we have news of a Star Wars engine as well. And this real life Ion Drive is no slouch either. Your average jet engine generates about 2N/kW (newtons per kilowatt) of thrust. In comparison, the ionic thruster (as it has been termed) has been demonstrated as capable of a whopping 110 N/kW of thrust. Well, that's just plain more. But the benefits of ionic thrusters don't end there. As well as being more powerful, these engines are entirely silent and invisible to infrared imaging.
While this does mean that we might miss out on the famous TIE Fighter scream, it'll come in handy for stealth aircraft. You know, the planes the CIA likes to paint black. Another spyplane-esque benefit of ionic thrusters is that they seem to function much more efficiently at slower speeds, enabling long-term recon missions with plenty of getaway power when push comes to shove.
Just like NASA's impulse drive, MIT's Ion Drive isn't quite ready for implementation yet. I guess we'll all have to wait until it's up and running before we pass judgement on who's won this particular battle in the ongoing debate over which sci-fi franchise truly is the best.
MIT, via Gizmodo
First off, the hardware most definitely isn't the most important part of this phone. If you're the kind of nerd who lives for specs -- the speeds and feeds crowd -- head elsewhere. In fact, there was very little talk at today's event at Facebook HQ (and same for the ensuing press releases) about the nuts and bolts of the HTC First. And that's because it's Facebook Home that's the star of the show.
We did get an answer to the burning "Why!?!?!" regarding Facebook doing its own hardware. It's pretty simple, in fact, and it's something we should have thought of. While using Facebook Home on an existing device is a pretty damn good experience, there are certain low level things -- particularly regarding notifications -- that you can't do with a launcher. You need deeper hooks into the existing operating system. And, so, we have the HTC First.
The phone itself is unassuming. It's got the usual HTC curves, and a 5MP camera out front your usual "did I really just use that" front-facer out front. It's deceptively light, and and thin to boot. (OK, for the speeds and feeds folks, it's got a dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor and it's running on Android 4.1.)
But it's Facebook Home that's the real star, and for good reason. It looks good. If you don't live in Facebook -- and chances are if you're a regular reader of this blog -- you may well not have a great need for it. But on the other hand, it's still a full-fledged Android smartphone, complete with all the Google apps -- and, more important, access to Google Play -- that you're used to. That was almost certainly a necessity, and it means all of your existing applications should still work, and they're completely accessible through a normal app drawer.
Rumored 'Galaxy Fonblet' gets a name change, reportedly coming in 5.8 and 6.3-inch varietiesSamsung clearly sees the future in big-screen smartphones. In addition to recently announcing the 5-inch Galaxy S4, it's got the similarly-sized Galaxy Grand on the way, not to mention the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2. So what's next? According to the latest round of reports, a new line of 5.8 and 6.3-inchers.
Today's report comes from SamMobile, which has a pretty solid track record when it comes to unannounced Samsung devices. Reportedly the Galaxy Mega 5.8 (GT-i9152) will pack a 5.8-inch screen and appear from the week commencing May 27. Similarly, the Galaxy Mega 6.3 (GT-i9200) should pack a 6.3-inch screen and emerge around the week starting Jun. 17. The new "Mega" branding is apparently a replacement for the (somewhat cringeworthy) "Galaxy Fonblet" name that was being bandied about prior to MWC.
No details on internal specs are offered, but the product codes suggest neither "Galaxy Mega" device will be a particularly high-end handset. What's more, the Galaxy Mega 5.8's code suggests it may be offered in a dual-SIM "Duos" variant, like the Galaxy Grand. And the Mega 6.3's size would tie in nicely with the limits of Samsung's recently-announced game pad accessory.
So would you be tempted by a possible mid-range handset with this screen size? Let us know down in the comments!
Lava Mobile has launched the Iris 455 as part of its Blockbuster Phone Day, where it launches a new smartphone every Friday.The device has a 4.5-inch screen, with a resolution of 540×960 pixels and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It has a1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB RAM. The phone comes with 4GB internal storage, that can be expanded via microSD card. The maximum limit of the microSD card is 32GB.
This is another dual-SIM device and it has 1,500 mAh battery which company claims has 6 hours of 3G talk time and 8 hours of talk time on 2G. The smartphone has a 5-megapixel auto-focus rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera.
The smartphone is 3G enabled and supports Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth.
The price and the availability of the smartphone have not been revealed, although the phone should be price in the same range as its predecessor the Iris 454. Iris 454 is priced at Rs 8,499. (USD 165)
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz 'CLA Edition 1' is an incredible model that combines special equipment to highlight the vehicle's sporty silhouette. The extraordinary car is an exclusive 4-door coupe.
Mercedes has designed a sleek and reasonably priced vehicle for the masses. This sleek car ranges in price between approximately $47,403-$58,885. The sporty car comes in a wide variety of color options. You can customize it to your own personal tastes. One magnificent feature of this contemporary cruiser is the neon accented inside. The interior of each custom car is upholstered in leather and black microfiber with yellow stitching. The interior is special and the exterior is fierce.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz 'CLA Edition 1' is incredible and will only be on the market for one year after its launch.