The newswires were buzzing with alternative energy developments this week as Inhabitat reported that Apple filed a patent for a hydrogen fuel cell-powered laptop that can last an entire week without needing a recharge. We also celebrated the warm winter holidays with a look at the world's first solar-powered menorah, GE unveiled an awesome set of 3D-printed Christmas tree ornaments, and we brought you a first look at the dazzling LED-studded 2012 Times Square new year's eve ball. We also showcased several amazing examples of paper technology as Sony flipped the switch on a paper-powered battery and Joon & Jung unveiled an alarm clock with a cute paper shell.
Eco transportation was a hot topic as well this week as Porsche unveiled plans to develop the third generation of its flywheel-boosted 911 GT3 R hybrid and the UK's new hybrid double-decker busses hit the streets of London. We also showcased plans for a greenery-filled AirTrain that harnesses Nasa-patented air purifying technology and we brought you Foster + Partner's plans for a striking new high-speed rail station in Galicia, Spain.
In other news, this week we saw Waterstudio launch plans for a floating Sea Tree skyscraper that provides habitat for flora & fauna, a scientist has harnessed bioluminescent bacteria to combat pollution in a fragile Florida ecosystem, and researchers developed a new breed of self-fixing electronics that use liquid metal capsules to heal themselves. Finally, we brought you several hot developments in wearable tech - a set of 3D printed eyeglasses, a site that uses your webcam to measure your clothing size, and theworld's first pair of over-ear headphones made with sustainable materials.
We only have a few more days left until the festivities truly kick off at CES 2012 in Las Vegas, but LG has already tipped its hand with a press release promising the "world's largest" OLED panel for the show. We've seen smaller screens from LG before and it had already promised a 55-inch OLED HDTV for mid-2012, so this news is just another sign the company is ready to take its technology mainstream. LG's tech uses white OLEDs overlaid with colors, which it claims makes for a lower error rate and clearer "ultra definition" screen, with more colors than standard LCDs. Check after the break for one more promo pic of LG's super skinny 5mm prototype, we'll get a better look at it (and the inevitable competition from Korean rival Samsung) at the company's booth January 9th.
LG's 55-inch 'world's largest' OLED HDTV panel is official, coming to CES 2012
GoPro has been in the HD action sports and helmet cam game for some time now, with its Hero line proving a popular sight atop many a daredevil's lid. Now, you can add HD Hero 2 ($300) to the ever growing list of options now, as this is the latest (and they say greatest) incarnation to date. Last time we tested the Hero Original -- as it's now called -- against the Contour HD, but now we're pitting new against old, like for like, side by side. Not only will we discover how the new boy stands up against the camera it effectively usurps, we'll also see how it fares out in the field. Above all, we'll see whether a smattering of new recording options, and a supposedly "two times sharper" image make it worth the extra dollars.
Hardware
Once you unbox the Hero 2, you'll be greeted by many of the same accoutrements as before. The packaging is the same Perspex-crowned cardboard box, the camera pride of place, while all the accessories are tucked away down below. The kit you get depends on which edition you buy, with three available at launch: Outdoor, Motorsports and Surf. We've been testing the Outdoor set, which is little more than a new name for what was previously known as the Helmet Hero.
In the box are four adhesive mount clips, an elasticated head mount, a padded helmet mount, three pivot arms, a waterproof case, a non-waterproof case door (for better audio), a battery and of course the camera. All very familiar if you own any GoPro gear, so much so that the new camera itself is almost identical too. There are subtle differences in the size of the recording LEDs, HDMI port, 3.5 Mic input and of course the product name emblazoned on the front, but aside from that they're identical, meaning that their cases are interchangeable also.
What is new with the HD Hero 2 is what's going on beneath that unassuming little case. According to GoPro, the Hero 2 is two times as powerful in every way. That means "two times sharper image" (however that's measured); 11MP Photos, up from the original's five; ten photos per second, up from three; time lapse down to 0.5 second increments, previously 1 second; max fps 120, up from 60; and 170 degrees FOV all the way up to 1080p, previously 170 stopped at 960p, dropping to 127 degrees at full resolution. Fortunately you won't be expected to pay double price for all this extra spec, but more on that later.
Mounting
Accessory-wise, the pivot arms are there to let you position the HD Hero 2 in a number of different positions, but they are somewhat fiddly, and limited in the number of angles. You have enough to get the camera extended, away from helmet obstructions, and change the mounting angle should you need to. As before, the adhesive clips cling to anything with vigor; because of this you have to be committed to whatever you are sticking it to. If you want to film your friend snowboarding, pray that she doesn't mind you slapping one of these on her board, as it'll be there almost permanently.
Sometimes clipping the camera in and out of these mounts can be difficult, especially if space is limited, or your fingers are gloved / wet / cold, which might be quite often considering this is an action sports device. Likewise, the pivot arms are screwed in place, and the little plastic screw heads can be extremely difficult to loosen manually with weather beaten fingers, mercifully the caps have an exposed Philips-head screw, so you can get a screwdriver in to do the job when your fleshy digits fail.
The tie-up helmet mount pad is great for those lids with air vents, and means you don't have to use up one of your four adhesive clips, but it does leave itself more open to loosening or coming undone, so a little bit of a trade off. The head-mount makes you feel wonderfully self-conscious when you adorn it, like some sort of techno-miner, but it's fairly comfortable and practical, which is by far the most important thing here.
In use
Once you've worked out how you're mounting it, the rest of the set-up is a cinch. Like its elder sibling, the front button controls power and cycles through menu options, while the top button selects, and of course, sets the camera rolling. Once again you have to contend with a tiny LCD screen for navigating through menus, but the interface is a little more friendly than before, with slightly clearer icons and text replacing the calculator-esque codes of before.
Kicking off basic filming is easy: simply select movie mode and press go. Once you're rolling the camera beeps and red LEDs on the front and top flash to let you know it's still going. The previous model suffered from not beeping loud enough to be heard over engine noise, and it's still the case with the Hero 2, meaning you aren't always sure it's shooting unless you can physically see it. Annoyingly, there is still no way of viewing what you've just shot until you either get home and upload it, or buy a the BacPac accessory at an extra cost. As a middle ground, if you have an iPad with a camera kit, the GoPro files play back just fine right off the bat. Other tablets should also handle them without a problem.
The resolutions available are the same as on the HD Hero Original, just with more frame rate options and FOV angles, conspiring expand the number of stylistic possibilities. For example, WVGA mode can now be shot at 60 and 120fps; 720p has three FOV options: 90, 127 and 170 unlike before where you just had the wide 170 setting; 960p gets a 48fps setting and up at the top 1080p again the two additional FOVs are now available.
The 1,100 mAh battery should see you through a good 2.5 hours of use according to its claims and in our tests it barely registered a loss of over half on the indicator while out and about, shooting regularly. Outputting the video you shot is now possible over HDMI which usurps the component cable offered with the last generation, but you'll need the lead already, as it's not supplied in the box like previously.
Video quality
The first thing you'll notice if you have the luxury of having both cameras is that the HD Hero 2 is noticeably clearer. Many people tend to think in pure numbers: megapixels, resolution and so on, but then forget that a lot of it really depends on the piece of glass the image is coming through. We noticed that images were generally sharper, but this was most visible with more complex textures such as asphalt, grass and so on.
The additional resolution settings and FOV options are more of a luxury than a necessity, but combined with the higher level of sharpness do give the device a more complete and professional feel. Audio still suffers dramatically when inside the waterproof case, and fares mildly better with the more sound-friendly door.
The color balance between the two models is also notably distinct, with the HD Hero 2 reproducing much more authentic tones compared to the Original's slightly brasher levels. Performance under lower-light levels also seemed to have enjoyed a marked improvement.
There are still times when you can sense that this is ultimately a click-and-go camera. For example, some jaggies are still noticeable at times, and white balance can be a little off on occasion, but all things considered, it generally puts in a solid performance.
The videos below were taken in two very different light situations, but give you a good understanding of how well the camera might perform under different weather conditions. The first was shot on a cloudy winter day about an hour or two prior to sundown and it holds up pretty well.
Wrap-up
Pound for pound, the HD Hero 2 is a marked improvement, and continues very much in the advancing footsteps of its predecessors. The price is not much more than the Original when that was new at $299.99. That said, some of our gripes remain, and they might be significant enough to change your buying decision depending on your requirements.
The main one, we found, is that the camera itself is quite heavy, especially when cased and mounted. Heavy enough that when you've got one slapped on your helmet, you definitely know about it, and sudden head movements can cause you to feel a tip in the balance – somewhat off putting when mid-action.
Likewise, the mounts themselves might lend themselves to larger, smoother surfaces, but if you want to attach it to something less regular, you might struggle. Sure you can buy different mounting kits and tools, but it soon adds up. Not to mention how fiddly it can be to get set up just right too. If you need to change the camera position on the go, you might find yourself missing some of the action. This can all be negated to some degree with the right preparation, but worth considering if prep-time isn't a luxury that you might have. For the most part, GoPro has improved on what was already a popular product, so we expect newcomers to be pleased, but upgraders might want to consider if there is enough net benefit.
GoPro HD Hero 2 review
DROID 4
Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002 P
A platinum Patek Philippe tourbillon watch became the most expensive modern wristwatch to be sold at auction when it fetched HK$11.75 million ($1.49 million) in Hong Kong on April 10, 2008.
The "Ref. 5002 P Sky Moon Tourbillon" wristwatch with a double dial is considered the most complicated wristwatch ever produced by the renowned Swiss watchmaker. Only two such watches are made every year, one in platinum and one in rose gold. The watch, made in 2003, was bought by an Asian private buyer at the Sotheby's auction.
The previous auction record for a modern wristwatch was a Vacheron Constantin Tour de l'Ile, ranked 2nd on this list, which was sold by the auction house Antiquorum for $1.4 million in Geneva in 2005.
The Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002 is the most complicated wristwatch ever produced by Patek Philippe and also the workshop's first double-face wristwatch. Its movement consists of 686 parts, some of which are microscopically small. This rare and exceptional timepiece features mechanical movement that must be manually wound, a minute repeater with tourbillon escapement, chime with two cathedral gongs activated by a slide piece in the case, perpetual calendar with retrograde date hand, hours and minutes of mean solar time, day, month, leap year by hands and moon age. The platinum case measures 42.8 mm.
MOST EXPENSIVE WATCH IN THE WORLD
USB WATCH
CELL PHONE PDA
India is getting a second government-sponsored tablet. The first model (the so-called Aakash) sold out in just a few days after it was launched online last week, but maker DataWind has already followed up with another 7-inch model, theUbislate 7. It was actually announced a few weeks back, but is now available for pre-order, priced at US$57 (US$10 more than the original Aakash), and features much better specs.
The Ubislate 7 comes with the following features:
- Android 2.3 (Aakash: Android 2.2)
- 7-inch touchscreen with 800×480 resolution
- Cortex A8 – 700 MHz CPU (Aakash: Arm11 – 366MHz)
- 3 hours battery life – thanks to the new 3200 mAh battery (Aakash: 2100 mAh)
- Wi-Fi and GPRS connectivity (the Aakash was Wi-Fi only)
- HD video playback
- 256 MB RAM
- one USB 2.0 port
- 2GB internal storage, which can be expanded to 32GB via microSD
Customers in India can expect to lay their hands on the Ubislate next month. DataWind will produce, via QUAD Electronics in Hyderabad, about 1,000 units daily.
Ubislate 7: India Gets Second Low-Cost Tablet – For US$57
Cell phones have become a major part of human lives today. One can’t imagine life without a cellphone nowadays. cellphones keep you entertained all the time and connected with friends around the globe. As the technology has changed rapidly now companies have come up with the smallest cell phones that are easily manageable, powerful and have all the relevant features. Plus the prices is not very high depending on the features and functions in a small phone.
I have come up with 10 of the world’s most thinnest and smallest cell phones that are leadingmarket today.
1. Modu Phone
2. Haier Elegance
3. NEC N930
4. Xun Chi 138 Phone
5. Cellwatch M500 Watch Phone
6. Samsung SGH-E888
7. UTStarcom Slice
8. LG Migo
9. EV-K130 Cell Phone
10. Firefly Mobile
World's Top 10 Smallest Mobile Cell Phones!
Both Apple and Google have independently spent the last year developing and testing wearable devices which will augment and extend the functionality of smartphones, according to a New York Times report. Like a more advanced version of the Motorola ACTV, these devices would send and receive data from your smartphone, which would act as the information hub — handsets would largely stay behind the scenes and users would interact primarily with these wearable peripherals.
Apparently, some Apple employees are even wearing and testing prototypes of these devices, one of which is described as a "curved-glass iPod" that wraps around the wrist and responds to commands using Siri. Meanwhile, Google's reportedly hiring designers from Apple and Nokia who specialize in miniaturization, and its recent purchase of Motorola could certainly bolster these efforts. There's no timeframe on this next step in smartphone evolution, but we're hoping to see something from both companies soon —iPod nano watches are cool, but would be even better if they could communicate with an iPhone.
Apple and Google reportedly testing wearable computing devices
Panasonic, Samsung, SanDisk, Sony, and Toshiba announced today that they're teaming up to launch the "Next Generation Secure Memory Initiative," which is a new step in the DRM (digital rights management) saga. It's designed to allow users to easily (and legally) stream, download, and copy their HD content on "Android-based smartphones and tablets, TVs and Blu-ray products." This wouldn't be the first time that manufacturers built DRM into flash media — Sony's MagicGate and SanDisk's TrustedFlash come to mind — but this new effort is focused on HD video and has the backing of five big players in the industry. The companies say that they expect the technology to be present in flash storage and embedded flash products by next year. There's definitely space for a better DRM solution and a better way to view legally-purchased video on multiple devices — buying a Blu-ray disc only to find out you can only play it on your Blu-ray player or PC isn't the best experience.
Panasonic, Samsung, SanDisk, Sony, and Toshiba team up for new flash memory DRM solution
The first time I was chased around a room by a glowing, buzzing ball I was in college and I had just come home from a rave. The last time was when I opened the Sphero and set it loose on my rug.
The Sphero is a ball with a brain. Designed by Orbotix, this 3-inch toy has an internal motor and a set of LEDs that can make it flash nearly any color of the rainbow. It’s run by iOS or Android apps that allow you to control the Sphero, play virtual golf, and draw images in light (albeit in a roundabout way).
We live in interesting times when it comes to hardware. It’s easier than ever to create cool stuff, as evidenced by the rise of gadgets like the Fitbit and the Parrot AR.Drone. The Sphero is no exception. It’s one of the coolest hardware projects I’ve seen in a while and the ease-of-use and simplicity of the concept is impressive.
Sphero is a toy and the kids in my house really enjoyed it… for a while. Sadly, I think Sphero will be relegated to the bottom of the toy box far too soon and the various apps that interact with it, while fun, aren’t all that compelling. After all, there are only so many ways you can sell “Make ball go forward. Now make ball turn green” before you get bored.
As a technological artifact, the ball is incredible. When’s the last time you’ve seen a small, self-propelled ball with built-in gyroscope, accelerometer, Bluetooth radio, and compass? You could put a little explosive in these and they could be a Bond villain.
Is the Sphero fun? Sure, for about a day. It would make a great desk or office toy and should be fun for cats (it’s clearly fun for 3-year-olds). It think the ball will be really great once Orbitix releases their SDK, allowing users more control over these wee fellows. For example, I could definitely see some cool applications in experimental robotics. Could you imagine a flock of these things rolling down the street.
As it stands right now the Sphero is cool – but maybe not cool enough. Give it a few months to see where the platform is headed and then maybe scoot over to the online store and get the ball rolling.
The Sphero is shipping now for $129.
