Nokia's 2006 touchscreen idea

Nokia will have touchscreen mobile phones in the future--that much we know from its announcement recently about S60 (Symbian Series60) handsets supporting touch-sensitive displays. But did you know that the Finnish giant has been thinking about it for some time now? Since before May 16, 2006, if you want to be precise.

In the document discovered by Unwired View on the US Patent and Trademark Office site, Nokia envisions a device with two screens that will display different kinds of information depending on the angle which the clamshell is opened. Control of the device is possible using either the buttons or by touching the display.

Some may say that Nokia's move is a response to the success of the iPhone, but if this patent filing is anything to go by, the cogs have been turning before Apple's cellular was even announced.

Via Unwired View

42-inch full-HD LCD TV at S$2,121?

The S$3,699 (US$2,433.55) Toshiba Regza 42X3500E may be the most affordable full-HD LCD TV in Asia, but Japan byd:Sign is jumping the gun with a S$2,121 (US$1,395.39) alternative. If you think this is probably a watered-down model, think again! Besides a future-proofed 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution, the Japanese vendor is throwing in a digital TV tuner and up to four HDMI 1.2 sockets for the LF-4201DAB.

Before you start toying with the idea of importing a set in, this juicy panel supports only 100V wall sockets. Hence, a step-down transformer is required for countries utilizing the UK-centric AC electrical system.

Via: Akihabara News

Fake Window

Remember the Fake Sun Roof. Well, someone's now come up with a pretend window that you can put up on a blank wall. Designed by Mongoose, there's nothing ratty about this since now you have an HR solution to your overworked, underpaid underlings complaining that they're stuck all day in a window-less room. Just get one of these, and problem solved. To create that clever illusion of a sunlight window, Makoto Hirahara's Bright Blind utilizes electroluminescent sheets. If the fake sunlight gets a wee bit too bright, simply adjust the blind down just like the real thing. According to gnr8, these are custom-made and available, though other gadget blogs state that it's still a concept. Whatever the case, it'll be some time before you can lay hands on one.

LG Flatron L226WTQ: Highest contrast ratio ever

Most monitors are pretty much the same. There's a small percentage that are dreadful, a small percentage that are spectacular, and a small percentage you can punch really hard. But most are just alright, really. One monitor that's a good bet for the spectacular category is the LG Flatron L226WTQ--the world's first LCD computer monitor with a claimed 5,000:1 contrast ratio.

A high-contrast ratio, for those not in the know, stops images looking "washed-out". You get very dark blacks, very bright whites, and ultimately a better picture. It's not that useful when you're editing images, doing desktop publishing or other dull office tasks, but it's jolly good for watching movies.

We've been playing with an L226WTQ for the last few days and while we can't verify the exact contrast ratio (few people can) it's packing some seriously black blacks. And don't even get us started on those whites. The colour reproduction seems pretty good too, plus you get 2ms grey-to-grey response time, HDCP over DVI-I for high-definition content, and a one-touch zoom function that lets you switch to lower resolutions if your eyes can't cope with 1,680 x 1,050 pixels.

The L226WTQ is available in black or a rather unattractive shade of grey for around £185 (US$382.50). It'll be in stores in plenty of time for Christmas.

Via Crave UK

Turn your mobile phone into a connected Webcam

Technology just bashes aside its own barriers, doesn't it?

A minute ago, the hardware required for mobile live video streaming would include a Webcam, a laptop that's Wi-Fi-connected and some online service like Ustream.

But that's just plain heavy in terms of mobility. And unless there's blanket Wi-Fi coverage in your city, you would need to make sure you are blogging within the vicinity of a hotspot. Not so convenient.

Now what if your mobile phone can replace all that hassle?

Over the weekend, we've been trying out a California-based service that turns a camera-phone into a mobile Webcam with just a quick app install. It's called Qik and it is still in alpha.

While we are not allowed to comment on its performance as yet, we can say that we are impressed with the still-raw program. It's an ingenious (and cheap) way to widen the functionality of a mobile phone.

What you need is a Nokia phone with data connectivity (3G/GPRS/Wi-Fi) and a data plan (preferably unlimited because the streaming makes it data-heavy). Installation was quick and painless. And once you are set, any video captured by your phone will be streamed and recorded (a bit of lag here) to your personal Qik.com page. Friends will be able to view your streams and past videos right there and, if you choose to enable it, you can stream direct to your Twitter account as well.

       

For more images of Qik, click on the images.

Via The Digital Movement

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