In-home donut machine

In case you were wondering, there is a God.

The Dough-Nu-Matic, available via the SkyMall in-flight catalog, is a miniature version of the Krispy Kreme fryer/conveyor belt that forms and fries savory donuts.

For just US$130, you can make very small donuts at the clip of a dozen every 6 minutes. That means you can eat 120 miniature donuts every hour without leaving your home. You can make donuts in your bathroom and eat them in the shower. You can place donuts on each of your fingers, then eat them off like the magical Mr. Donut Hands. You can buy a kiddie pool, fill it with donuts, and swim in it while wearing donuts as water wings.

Dials on the side of the machine let you adjust the cooking temperature, but alas, there is no "jelly" setting. You'll need to hollow out the donuts and inject jelly into them yourself.

You'll need your own dough, and SkyMall doesn't mention whether oil is included in the package. You may need that, too, but the machine's enclosed, covered oil fryer means you won't get splattered with hot oil while you watch the donuts get ready for business....the business of shoving them into your pie-hole.

I repeat: You can now make donuts in your home and eat the living hell out of them.

Via Crave CNET (source: Geekologie)

Photokina to be held in Singapore?

From Koelnmesse, the organizer behind the famed imaging fair in Germany, comes the Asian equivalent--the Imaging Expo Singapore. Koelnmesse claims that this event is the first imaging tradeshow to be held in the Asia-Pacific region outside of China and is projected to become an annual affair.

The Imaging Expo Singapore will be held on November 2–4 at the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre on over 8,000sqm of floor space. With the presence of manufacturers such as Canon, Fujifilm, Ricoh and Wacom, the organizers are expecting a total visitor turnout of 30,000 over the three days.

Alongside the expo is the Photo Imaging X-change, which is a multi-tracked conference with presentations, workshops and studio sessions by well-known photographers and imaging professionals.

To the Mapmobile!

If there was ever a comic book hero named Mapman, this would be his ride. Tele Atlas, a map content company out of Netherlands, is the owner of this orange van and the equipment attached to it. What it does is to create maps of the roads it plies using a potpourri of location capture devices.

Attached on the top of this van are four cameras which capture three images per second, per camera. The van can be configured with up to eight cameras depending on the landscape it is mapping, making it possible to capture 24 images per second when needed. Working together with that are laser scanners that help to determine the outline of buildings. This allows Tele Atlas to make 3D models of the environment for its 3D navigation maps. These are just some of the technologies employed to perfect the maps. Check out our photo gallery to see more of what's in and on Tele Atlas' mapping van.
Read more »

Hitachi full-HD trio for any occasions

Regardless of whether you need a full-HD TV for your bedroom, study or living room, Hitachi has a flat panel lined up for you. For those with space constraints, there is the petite L37X01A built on the popular In-Plane Switching LCD technology. This is complemented by its 42-inch equivalent, the L42X01A, and a 50-inch P50X01A plasma whopper. Besides pixel-to-pixel compatibility with HD broadcast, Blu-ray and HD-DVD, all three panels deliver respectable 10,000:1 dynamic contrast, triple HDMI terminals and judder-free 1080p24 input handling.

The latest entry of the P50X01A has also sparked a price war, undercutting the already affordable Panasonic Viera TH-50PY700 by a substantial S$1,300 (US$869.97) savings. With near-identical tech specs among the two models--less onboard JPEG playback offered by the latter--the heat is on the Panasonic which is now sitting in our Lab undergoing rigorous testing. Figures aside, it all boils down to picture quality which will set apart the true low-cost full-HD champion. Hey, Pioneer, if you're reading this, perhaps it's time to revise the PDP-LX508G's five-figure pricing?

Dell partners with Courts superstore

Dell built its business as an online PC distributor. Recently, it altered its strategy and worked deals with major retail chains in the US, China, Russia and Japan to sell its goods through brick-and-motar outlets.

Singapore is next to join that list with today's announcement of an exclusive partnership between Dell and Courts, one of the largest megastores in the country. From today, consumers can view and touch the Inspiron range of desktops and notebooks before committing to a purchase. Unlike online delivery which may take a few days before the unit is received, customers can buy and get their unit on the spot.

So what is the difference between buying online and getting a Dell PC through Courts? In order not to cannibalize each other's sales, Courts' units are based on processors that are not available via Dell's online store. Moreover, PCs purchased through Courts can either be serviced onsite or in store. On the flip side, having fixed configurations in stock means that if you want to upgrade parts such as the RAM or harddisk, you will have to place an order through the store and return in three to five working days to get the custom unit.

According to a Dell representative, the reason for moving its products to the retail front is so the US maker can capture first-time PC buyers. This group of people are unlikely to be comfortable getting expensive electronics online, and may prefer to experience the machine before buying.

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