Archives for May 2007
LG's iPod washing machine: Convergence gone mad
Nate Lanxon, CNET.co.uk | May 30, 2007
Of all the things you shouldn't build an iPod speaker system into, a washing machine has to be up there with the chainsaw. Why in the world would anyone think they need to build a music system into an appliance designed to be left alone for great lengths of time? And that vibrates loudly?
Well, despite the obvious conceptual flaws of building a product that quite simply has no use whatsoever, LG has patented designs for the world's first washing machine/podcessory hybrid.
The docking system is built alongside two speakers, which are mounted into the machine's top. We can't speculate just how good this would sound, but if you're familiar with the sound a washing machine makes when it's working, you'll understand our prediction that this would sound truly horrible, and perhaps be more offensive to the ears than a Roy Chubby Brown witticism screamed after 10 pints of gone-off lager.
Unless the machine itself vibrates according to the music being played, to produce a subwoofer effect, we're distinctly unimpressed that someone, somewhere, was paid for designing this.
Thankfully, this design is just the concept art that accompanies a patent filed by electronics maker LG. We're sincerely hoping that this is just a case of patent squatting--the act of registering a potential invention on the off-chance that someone actually builds one in the future. Tut tut, LG. You should know that no one with even the scarcest ounce of common sense would ever build something so hopelessly doomed to failure.
Click here for a larger image.
Via CNET UK Crave
Nokia lightning detector
Juniper Foo | May 30, 2007
We've heard of being struck by a bolt of inspiration, but the Finnish phone maker has apparently taken it literally, with the idea of a lightning detector feature in a phone. According to a patent, Nokia has designed a software system that can analyze the signals and distance of lightning, and beep a warning to users of its approach. We can certainly see this being featured in its rugged outdoor series. But seriously, if there's a mother of a thunderstorm out there, you don't even want to be operating your cellular out in the open. Duh. Too bad there aren't any images.
Via PC World
Price: N.A.
Availability: Concept, patent information here
Device: Lightning detection feature
Specs: N.A.
Thinner Meizu Mini
John Chan | May 29, 2007
The original Meizu Mini is what you might call a sleeper hit. It's a slim MP3 player with a large display. And even with hardly any marketing, it has a loyal following from many users. Well, the China-based company has an updated music player, the M6se, which is even slimmer than the original Mini.
This MP3 player is just 6.9mm in thickness and comes with features that don't differ much from the earlier Mini. This includes a QVGA display and it's capable of playing back a host of different video formats. It is 3mm thinner than the Mini, which makes quite a lot of difference even though its design at the front has not changed much from the original.
The M6se is expected to be available in Singapore from Q4 2007. Its price has not yet been announced. Its availability in other Asia-Pacific countries is also unconfirmed.
Click for more images:
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
Via dapreview.net
Fancy a UMPC for around S$1,000?
Darius Chang | May 29, 2007
Fancy a UMPC but unwilling to pay sky-high prices for rock-bottom performance? Well, a UMPC has been spotted in Singapore which is going for an almost too-good-to-be-true price.
The name may be a mouthful, but the Kohjisha SA1F00 is possibly one of the cheapest UMPC machines you can get your hands on outside the land of the rising sun. Resembling another convertible UMPC, the Fujitsu LifeBook FMV-U Series, it has a keyboard/touchpad combo and runs on the AMD Geode LX-800 500MHz processor, with an option to bump the 512MB memory up to 1GB.
Weighing only 960g, it has a runtime of 5 hours, much longer than the ASUS and Samsung UMPCs. The Kohjisha has generously included two USB 2.0 ports and a memory card reader while allowing for 802.1b/g and Bluetooth radios. Both modem and Ethernet network connectivity are supported internally. The 7-inch touchscreen is larger than the Fujitsu's 5.6-inch display, and has a maximum resolution of 800 x 480 pixels.
But what you really want to know is the price, right? At almost half that of its competitors, the black version with a 40GB harddisk is going for S$1,049 (US$690.13), while the white 100GB model is only slightly more expensive at S$1,199 (US$788.82). The Kohjisha SA1F00 is currently distributed by PA Mart in Singapore Funan the IT Mall, but only limited units are available.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
Heartbeat Indicator Mouse
Juniper Foo | May 29, 2007
What happens when you build a better mousetrap? Seems designers Chiu Chi Tat & Tsoi Man Hei have a pree-tty good idea. Taking the ubiquitous mouse, they've outfitted it with sensors that detect your health condition while you work. Makes perfect sense when you consider that your thumb and palm are always in touch with your mouse, allowing it to basically tap into the pulse of your lifeblood. For hypochondriacs, this supermouse can apparently send health information to a hospital or caregiver's cellular through the PC network. Given reports that cubicle rats have died without a sound at their workstations, we don't think we're being "kiasu" (Singlish for scared to lose out) when we suggest that Chiu and Tsoi might want to implement an alarm loud enough to wake even the, ah, dead should the owner of the rodent flatline.
More images here
Via Yanko Design
Price: N.A.
Availability: Concept
Device: Mouse
Crave is...
The name says it all. Crave is our new blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.
Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.
Crave for...
» Mobile Phones (568)
» Digital Cameras (348)
» Notebooks (358)
» PC & Peripherals (366)
» Handhelds (209)
» Printers (34)
» Home AV (382)
» Music & Play (353)
» Gadgets (834)
» Future Tech (121)
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
Copyright © 2008 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
