Mobile projector for your handset--the old-fashioned way

Pico projectors are great, but they are also prohibitively expensive. The HypnosEye Projector compromises a little on the experience with an old-school technology, and at US$80, costs only a fraction of the amount you'd typically fork out. Unlike most ultraportable projectors which take a direct feed from the source (for example, a mobile phone), the HypnosEye uses a specially coated mirror to reflect the screen on the handset, i.e. it doesn't require a power source. It has a projection distance of between 0.5m and 2m on an area up to 45 inches. The only drawback is that the brightness level on the handset affects how much you see on the projection. The accessory will work with any handset with a backlit screen and is available at Japan Trend Shop.

Via Newlaunches

SingTel launches traffic planning guide TrafficLive

It seems Google isn't the only one hogging the traffic news today. Singapore telco operator SingTel has just announced its traffic planning guide dubbed TrafficLive.

The service, which is supported on all WAP handsets, will be available from November 20. Data charges are waived, but users will still need to pay S$0.21 on a pay-per-use basis or subscribe to a monthly plan for S$3.21. The service is free for six months for those who purchase selected handsets and sign up for TrafficLive between November 20 and 29.

According to SingTel, TrafficLive aggregates data from the cell IDs of its customer base as well as those provided by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The information updates every 5 minutes, lets users check on traffic conditions, incidents, as well as plans the fastest or cheapest (by avoiding toll) route and estimated arrival time. SMS alerts are available for those who subscribe to the monthly plan.

The operator expects to include live traffic imagery, map visuals and other map applications by June 2010.

BlackBerry Storm 2 meets Lego Mindstorms robot

SAN FRANCISCO--It wasn't all work and no play at last week's BlackBerry Developer Conference. Attendees also got to pit their psychomotor skills at the fringe Developer Robot Challenge where they had to navigate a Lego Mindstorm robot with a Storm 2 through an obstacle course. Four identical courses were set up for the race. Whoever completed the course in the shortest time would go home with the robot, Storm 2, codes to the program, and street cred. It was hilarious seeing the bot topple backward, repetitively. Watch the video. For the record, yours truly had a go at it and reckons he did pretty darn good. Just a few seconds shy of being at the top of the list, too. Shucks.

Video: Gaming on the BlackBerry Storm 2

SAN FRANCISCO--One of the key announcements at the second annual BlackBerry Developer Conference was support for the graphics API OpenGL ES. For end-users, this means richer 3D visuals for gaming on mobile devices. By a stroke of luck, we managed to get our grubby mitts on Need for Speed: Shift by EA Mobile and Professional Bowling Association by Concrete Software on the Storm 2. Suffice to say, we're pretty impressed so far (watch out, iPhone). The graphics look amazing on Need for Speed: Shift which took only a couple of weeks to build and we like the intuitiveness of the touch-and-tilt controls on the device. We also demonstrated our lack of bowling skills in the second video (after the jump) where we try to knock down some pins on the Professional Bowling Association.
Read more »

Tele Atlas launches crowd-sourced Speed Profiles in Taiwan

If you've not heard of Netherlands-based company Tele Atlas' Speed Profiles, you're not alone. After all, this is the first time the mapping solutions company is launching the product in Asia. Those across the pond in the US and Europe have been enjoying the service for some time already, and now Taiwan will be getting it, too.

In a nutshell, Speed Profiles aggregates, or crowd sources, data from anonymous GPS devices and uses them to calculate a better route to your destination. In addition, instead of simply relying on conventional route calculations, Speed Profiles takes into account the "frequency of traffic lights to lunch breaks at large schools, to complex intersections, to alleyways and major highways", according to Tele Atlas' senior product manager, Nhai Cao.

The ultimate benefit to the end-user is time and fuel saved. Alas, when asked about the roadmap of Speed Profiles for the rest of Asia, Cao said the company plans to "offer coverage where community data is available and anticipates an expanded number of participants in Asia Pacific".

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