Nokia lightning detector

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

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:

Via dapreview.net

Fancy a UMPC for around S$1,000?

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$755.11), while the white 100GB model is only slightly more expensive at S$1,199 (US$863.09). The Kohjisha SA1F00 is currently distributed by PA Mart in Singapore Funan the IT Mall, but only limited units are available.

Heartbeat Indicator Mouse

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

Intel mobile Metro laptop: RAZR-thin PC unveiled

Intel has been showing off a new laptop that by all accounts is the thinnest in the world. Codenamed the Intel mobile Metro, it's apparently less than 18mm thick--about 6mm thicker than a Motorola RAZR phone.

It's the result of a collaboration between Intel and US firm Ziba Design. Judging by these pictures, it's absolutely stunning. The working model will probably use Intel Centrino technology, although we're yet to discover what sort of chipset, processor, memory and storage will be employed. One of the few tech certainties is the inclusion of Wi-Fi.

The chassis, which weighs a mere 1kg, will be a champagne-colored magnesium alloy and dotted with subtle gold accents. Intel has also confirmed a clip-on folder for the laptop, which will feature a secondary display. This will use E-Ink technology, of the sort used in Sony's Reader, to prolong battery life.

We've no idea if or when it'll reach the market. Intel doesn't actually make laptops (just the bits that go inside them). So we reckon a company such as ASUS will take charge of building and selling it, as it did with Intel's Classmate PC.

We're pretty excited by it. Check out the pictures over at the photo gallery--you will not be disappointed.

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