Thursday, June 25, 2009
DER2 actroid by kokoro (2006)
designed by kokoro which is part of the sanrio group, DER2 actroid designed by the japanese animatronics company. a seemingly more attractive and younger version of the original actroid, DER2 doesn't have walking capabilities, but her other behaviors are more human-like than before with enhanced facial expressions and speaking abilities that include a comments such as 'please don't touch me, it's sexual harrassment!' most of her responsibilities include reception and emcee duties. and of course, her wardrobe includes hello kitty t-shirts.
the latest japanese robots
r: mechadroid type c3 receptionist robot by business design laboratory guides visitors through face recognition
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Albert Einstein
In 1905 Einstein wrote a paper on what is now known as the special theory of relativity. This paper contained two hypotheses. The first stated that the laws of physics had to have the same form in any frame of reference. The second hypothesis stated that the speed of light was a constant. Later that year Einstein also showed how mass and energy were equivalent. Following an impressive few years of work, Einstein became a lecturer at the University of Bern. In 1909 he finally got a post at a university when he became a faculty member at the University of Zurich. In 1911 Einstein taught at Carl-Ferdinand University in Prague. The following year he returned to Germany to continue his work. In 1916 Einstein published his general theory of relativity. This theory linked gravitation, acceleration and the four dimensional space-time. With this theory he was able to account for the variations in the orbital motions of the planets. He also predicted that starlight in the vicinity of a massive object such as the Sun could be bent. This was confirmed in 1919 during a solar eclipse. This further increased the adulation with which the press viewed Einstein. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his work on the photoelectric effect. This work proposed that light be considered as consisting of particles called photons. Einstein further proposed that the energy the photon contains is proportional to the frequency of the radiation.
Monday, June 8, 2009
New Berkline Seating Available at TheaterSeatStore.com
TheaterSeatStore.com. Berkline brought out these new home theater seating models at the end of April, during the Spring Furniture Market at High Point North Carolina.
These new recliners take Berkline’s already successful models and add some slight design changes.
“Whatever you are looking for, we got it,” commented Peter Goldstein, Vice President of Sales at TheaterSeatStore. Go to the theaterseatstore.com to view this new Berkline home theater seating.
JL Audio Wins EISA Award for 13TW5
The EISA awards are selected by a panel of judges who represent more than 50 well-known photo, video, audio, home theater, and mobile electronics magazines from more than 20 European countries.
As quoted from the Award Citation of the EISA Jury:
Harman Kardon HKTS 18 Home Theatre Speaker System
Among the features include:
Line-level Sub/LFE input
Audio-sense or external-trigger on/off
Multicolor LED power indicator
Wall mounts are included just in case you decide to buy this home theater speaker system from Harman Kardon. The price range for this set plays around $400 to $800.
Line 6 Ships X2 XDR959 Wireless Lavalier Microphone System
The new X2 XDR959 Wireless Lavalier Microphone System is ideal to be used in business conferences, schools and houses of worship. It includes a high quality cardioid lavalier microphone, a rack-mountable five-channel receiver and a bodypack transmitter. It also boasts of an extended frequency response of 10 Hz-20 kHz for a clear voice.
X2 XDR959 Wireless Lavalier Microphone System from the house of Line 6 is capable of broadcasting dual signals to four receivers. It uses a digital data stream for recognizing only signals embedded with unique digital signature.
Koishi Audio System From Speed Studio Design
Instead of being a noticeable (and often unattractive) collection of hi-tech black boxes, the digital audio system seems to say “retro simplicity”. By reducing the control interface to a single control knob and simple touchscreen interface, the Koishi Audio is an ideal choice for compact and modern city dwellings.
Trends TA-10.2P Class-T Power Amplifier
“We’ve experienced unprecedented growth in sales during the global financial crisis because many audiophile and music lovers are looking for the high end but not high priced audio products.” says David Ho, the Marketing Director of Trends Audio.
HP ep7120 Home Cinema Digital Projector
This projector connects easily to home A/V components and a PC. Enhance the fun and enjoyment of your home entertainment with big, theater-like DVDs, home movies, photos, games, and more - all from a sleek, innovative and easy-to-use device. Affordably priced for big entertainment in any home or apartment.
JVC GD-32XI- World’s Slimmest 32-inch LCD Display Screen
Samsung P3 MP3 player
Featuring a 3-inch touch screen and a capacity of 32GB, the Samsung’s P3 is shaping up to be a worthy opponent to Apple’s 32GB Ipod touch.
Zune HD Ready for Sale by Fall
We do know that the Xbox and Xbox Live will get Zune integration and the Zune marketplace will be filled with Live video resources. E3 should bring more information about the Zune HD’s capabilities and extra features. Microsoft is waiting for E3 to reveal more:
Garmin to Launch the nuvifone Soon in the USA
Mio Unveils the Explora K75 GPS Phone
*Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz processor
*Qualcomm gpsOne GPS chipset
*3.5-inch 400×240 WQVGA display
*microSD memory card slot
*VGA CMOS secondary camera
*Built-in rotation sensor
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Razer Launches Ultrathin Gaming Grade Mousing Surface
“The Razer Sphex is a gaming surface that doesn’t compromise tracking ability or durability even with its slim figure,” says Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, President of Razer. “We wanted to offer gamers a simpler and less expensive gaming-grade mouse mat alternative, while retaining extreme precision and a smooth consistent glide comparable to traditional gaming mouse mats.”
About the Razer Sphex™
The Razer Sphex is currently the world’s thinnest gaming-grade mousing surface which boasts of an ultrathin profile. It is specifically engineered to perform at the highest precision for both Optical and Laser mice. Made of high-grade durable material, the Razer Sphex allows gamers to wipe or wash the product repeatedly without compromising its quality or tracking performance. The Razer Sphex can adhere and detach from any desk surface without any extra effort making it fully reusable.
Razer Sphex™ Features
Adhesive bottom to stick to any surface
Midsized mouse mat suited for most gaming environments at 320mm by 230mm
Extra thin to avoid any restrictions to your gaming experience
Excellent tracking quality for both Laser and Optical mice
COST: US: $14.99, Europe €14.99 AVAILABILITY: WorldwideRazer Sphex™ High Resolution Image Links
Thursday, June 4, 2009
LED Projector Review - Optoma PK101 Pico Projector
The whole concept of these small LED projectors has garnered a lot of attention. Optoma (I believe) was the first to ship one in the US, with this, the PK-101 Pico projector. In the industry two terms have been used to describe this type of projector. Some call them LED projectors (but LED light engines are just about to start appearing in more traditional larger projectors), and others call them pico projectors (wise of Optoma to grab the name Pico for their brand).
I think it necessary to briefly discuss the abilites, the role and the types of usage these new projectors are best suited for, before focusing on this particular LED projector. Here goes:
The biggest question out there is who will buy them, and what will they use them for. It's been argued by some, that they can be used for presentations. Whether they are viable for presenting in the tradtional sense is iffy at best. I've been in the projector industry for more than 15 years, and even the early portables back in 1994, (about 20 pounds) produced 100 lumens or more, and here we have something only 1/10th as bright as the dimmest of those early projectors.
About three years ago we saw the first small LED projectors. Mitsubishi's probably being the best selling. Those types of LED projectors are much larger, and typically weigh in at more than 1/2 pound, excluding their battery packs which could bring them up to about 1 pound. That class of projector has proved abysmal in sales, considered a novelty by most, and despite typically 30 - 80 lumens, dim compared to the dimmest business projectors. Those larger LED projectors have found some specialty vertical markets, but their overall sales numbers are insignificant, compared to either business or home theater projectors.
Projectors like the Optoma Pico, however will find a different market, and that one primarily consists of working in conjunction with portable devices like cell phones, portable game machines (think Sony PSP3000, etc.) and a variety of other portable devices.
Ultimately industry forecasters see this as a huge market - bigger by far than the traditional projector market. One industry analyst projects (no pun intended) that as many as 15 million will be sold by 2012! There are, however two different types - first there are the stand alone projectors like the Pico, as well as competing models from 3M, AIPTEK, Samsung, and others. The rest of the sales are for the projector engine, to be built into other devices (like cell phones). The market for the engines to go into other devices is almost certainly the far, far, far, far (get the idea?) greater market. Imagine - if Apple decided to build a mini-projector into a future version of the iPhone (very likely), right off the bat, the sales of those LED projector engines (in units) would dwarf the unit numbers for traditional larger projectors (about 1.25 million projectors, worldwide in 2008).
So, what can we do with the Optoma Pico? I've had it hooked up to and working with my Wii, and my PS3, Oppo DVD player, as well as my iPhone, and an old portable DVD player system (with built in 7" diagonal screen and speakers). Right off the bat, I only see one possible reason for people to buy it with the larger game machines, and that's if they want to take their machine with them on a trip. The Pico then allows them to project the image onto a small screen, or small area of wall, but that's better than not taking the game machine for those folks.
Above: From Lord of the Rings - standard DVD, from an Oppo DVD player. Projected image of approximately 50 inch diagonal screen in a darkened room. Most of the light in the room is coming in from the blinds you see, below the screen that the image is projected on.
Working with the iPhone, and other compatible phones, as well as portable game machines and devices that can support it, is a significantly more logical market.
The Optoma Pico is the first pico projector I've had a chance to review, so I'm not prepared to determine how good a value it is, nor can I clearly say how it differs from the competition. That said, over the next two months, I plan to review at least three additional pico projectors from other brands. Once I have reviewed four of them, I will also assemble an article comparing them, and which are better for different user applications.
Ultimately, the main attraction of the Pico is its tiny size and light weight, as well as being battery operated. The Pico comes standard with two batteries (they are about the size of a cell phone battery). One goes in the unit, the other, a spare.
I find that the projector can produce a respectable image in a mostly darkened room of 10 to 30 inches diagonal. Fully darken the room and you can go larger. At one point I projected a 58 inch wide image (almost 80 inches diagonal). Even in a fully darkened room, the image appeared very dim. Sufficient to say, at that sized image, it's not something I would want to watch for any period of time. In a fully darkened room, however, the Pico does a decent (but hardly bright) job on a 30 inch diagonal image. Drop the image size down to about 12 inches diagonal (just a touch smaller than the average laptop screen, and the Pico can work reasonably well in a room with low lighting.
Optoma Pico PK101 LED Projector Highlights
.Simple to use
.640x480 resolution (VGA)
.Suitable for projecting a small image - 10 to 50+ inches diagonal, in a mostly darkened or fully room
.Compatible with standard composite video sources, as well as many portable devices including .iPhones, game machines, some other cell phones
.Weighs only 1/4 pound, including battery
.Recharges fairly quickly (less than 4 hours) from the provided AC adapter though its USB port, comes with two batteries
.Includes iPhone adapter, mini-USB to mini-USB cable, mini-plug to 3 RCA connector cable (for video and audio)
.5 watt speaker
Two brightness modes
Comes with an adapter to place on a mini tripod (a great idea)
Easily fits into any pocket, and a soft carry case just large enough for the projector cable and adapter (but not big enough to also fit the recharger
Rated 11 lumens, this is not a product for use in a bright room (consider that the dimmest home theater projectors are 20-25 times that bright, and the dimmest business projectors are 100 times as bright
all you need to know about robots
yambo III
one of the moving and task performing robots,the legged-walking type, which has high terrain adaptability,is yambo III. generally walking robots need so many degreesof freedom (DOF) that robots become heavy and its mechanismbecome more complicated. one of the effective solutions tothese problems is developing the robot with bipedal configuration.---
morph
3officials and researchers in japan, home to almost halfthe world's 756,000 industrial robots, hope a new robotindustry will give the stagnant economy a boost.japanese researchers want to advance the technologyby improving mobility or making robots more autonomous.morph 3, a 38-cm-tall humanoid robot, tries to standafter being laid on its back during an experiment at thechiba institute of technology in narashino, chiba prefecture.the project is a joint project between kitano symbiotic systemproject and leading edge design corp.athletic properties of the robot become the highest amongthe same size robots in the world.the robot appeared on the stage of robocup 2002 held infukuoka, japan.---
cyclopsis
an interactive human-shaped machine. the machine isequipped with a single camera eye and a spinal columnstructure. this work was developed for 'robot meme exhibition'at the national museum of innovative technology andemerging science, tokyo, in 2001. cyclops was shown inseptember 2002at ars electronica center in linz, austria as apart of its permanent exhibition.---
DB
an expert in brain science, kawato developed the DB,a humanoid robot that can imitate human action, based on hisknowledge that the cerebellum plays a key role in learningand memory. however, the robot has managed to learn only24 kinds of human action over three years.---
atom
japanese researchers are advocating a grand project,under which the government would spend 50 billionyen a year over three decades to develop a humanoidrobot with the mental, physical and emotional capacityof a 5-year-old human - the atom project.'most of today's robots operate with a program written byhumans. in order to develop a robot that can think andmove like a 5-year-old, we have to first understand themechanism of how human brains work,' mitsuo kawato,chief of the computational neuroscience laboratoriesat the kyoto-based advanced telecommunicationsresearch institute internationa said, admitting the difficultyof his project. 'that will be equal to understandinghuman beings.'tthe project was inspired by the popular robot animation series'tetsuwan atom' by the late cartoonist osamu tezuka(unlike cartoonist tezuka's 'atom' character, known as'astro boy' overseas, based on an image of a 9-year-oldboy, the atom project aims to create a humanoid robotwith the physical, intellectual and emotional capacity ofa 5-year-old that would be able to think and move on itsown). the researchers say it would help promote scientificand technological advances in japan, just like the u.s.apollo project, which not only succeeded in landing menon the moon but contributed to a broad range of technologicalbreakthroughs - a project of this magnitude would injectmuch-needed vigor into a nation depressed from years ofeconomic slump.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Apple MacBook Air: Encore please
And other designs are already out there like the 0.78 inch-thick MSI X340 X-Slim, which is, more or less, a photocopy of the Air. And even Lenovo is tempting fate with the 3.5-pound 13.3-inch IdeaPad U350, which will start at $649 and make the $1,900 ThinkPad X301--and the Air--look very expensive.
Intel Core 2 Duo processor SU9400 (1.40GHz, 10 watts)
13.3-inch LED-backlit TFT LCD
Mobile Intel GS45 Express chipset
4GB of DDR3 memory
6-cell lithium ion battery
500GB SATA hard drive
3.5 pounds
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
Many of those specifications are a stone's throw away from the Air (and Adamo)--or match it.
So, what will Apple's MBA encore be? Thinner? Lighter? Faster? 3G capable? Dare I say, cheaper? Or a new industrial design that will send all the ultra-thin wannabes back to the drawing board? I'm waiting.
'Star Wars' fans flock to video game launch
No one knows if the game will be a best-seller, but if you judged by the energy at the Best Buy in this city's Mission District on Monday night, where the game's official launch event is being held, it's got a bright future.
There is a special guest scheduled to speak in about 15 minutes, and by now, it's no secret that it will be George Lucas himself.
For now, however, fans of the game--and hired hands--are milling around the Best Buy here in all kind of Star Wars costumes, and every now and then I hear the easily recognized beep bleep bloop sound of R2-D2.
Stay tuned to this blog for more on this event as the evening goes on.
Cell phone video cams start to have ‘reel’ feel
The phone comes with 16 gigabytes of internal memory, and another 8 GB can be added with a microSD card. It has a 2.8-inch display screen. Up to 90 minutes of video can be recorded, depending on resolution.
Lines between netbooks, laptops keep blurring
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Nokia E Series E55 in a More Stylish Red Colorway
Nokia is re introducing their Nokia E55 with a new stylish color way that is very much attractive compared to the original versions that they first released. This red color way will definitely appeal to many users especially with the functionality and features that this phone already has. This includes a 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity allowing you to surf the net in high speed connection.
This also includes a 3.15 megapixel camera with autofocus allowing you to take quality pictures. This cellular phone is also equipped with an mp3 and mp4 player for your entertainment functions. This also includes other functions including a digital compass, document viewer, FM radio, Nokia Maps, and GPS functions.
This new red Nokia E55 will definitely be one of your reasons to buy this phone aside from its functionality. Expect this new version to be available soon on your local mobile retailers.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Who was invented the hukka?
Hookah smoking just as bad for teeth as cigarettes
Hookahs have long been used for smoking tobacco in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia. Hookah lounges are also becoming increasingly popular in the US and other countries. The pipes consist of a long tube attached to a glass or plastic container that holds water in its base, BBC radio reported.
The tobacco, which is flavored with fruits and sugar syrup, is burnt using charcoal. Because the smoke passes through the water before the smoker inhales it, water pipes are believed by some to filter out the harmful substances in tobacco smoke.
However, water pipe smoke contains the same toxins as cigarette smoke. Previous studies have suggested that hookah smoking increases heart rate and blood pressure and impairs lung function.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied 262 adults in Saudi Arabia, where hookah smoking is widespread, to find out if hookahs are as tough on the teeth as cigarettes.
Overall, 31 percent smoked water pipes exclusively, while 19 percent smoked only cigarettes. Another 20 percent used both smoking methods, and the rest 30 percent were non-smokers.
The researchers found that about 20 percent of all study participants had signs of gum disease, which is marked by inflammation and redness in the gums in its earlier stages and later, destruction of the bones and soft tissue supporting the teeth, possibly leading to tooth loss. But while only eight percent of non-smokers had gum disease, 30 percent of water pipe smokers and 24 percent of cigarette smokers were affected.
When researchers weighed other factors, such as study participants' ages, they found that water pipe smokers were five times more likely to show signs of gum disease than non-smokers. Cigarette smokers had a nearly four-times greater risk than non-smokers.
It's not clear why tobacco smoking promotes gum disease, but it's highly likely, that it harms the bones that support the teeth. Hence, the findings suggest that tobacco from a water pipe is equally harmful to the teeth as cigarettes.—APP
32" Hephaestus Khalil Mamoon Hookah
32" Hephaestus Khalil Mamoon Hookah
This is the ultimate four-hose Khalil Mamoon hookah and it is just as impressive to smoke as it is to look at. Khalil Mamoon made this hookah with wide gauge ports and the use of brass with critical components. With a name meaning god of metallurgy, this is truly a metallic work of art. This hookah comes with four 65 inch signature Khalil Mamoon hoses and a clay bowl that holds 15 - 20 grams of hookah tobacco. This hookah will most likely be a collector's item, so get one while they are still available. Supplies will go fast.
Includes:
Egyptian Hookah Head
(4) 65" Khalil Mamoon Hoses
Gaskets
Metal Screen
Cleaning Brush
Tongs
1 Dozen Plastic Tips
TYPES OF HOOKAH
This is the most famous of the small MYA hookah line and is an industry standard for personal use travel size hookahs. The base is 5 inches across offering good stability for its size. The stem fits over the base in a way that hides the gasket line making the entire hookah look seamless. The matching head is a standard high grade ceramic that holds approximately 16 to 20 grams of hookah tobacco. The hose also matches the color scheme and is 72 inches long. The hookah comes with a specially made wire carrying cage. These hookahs are a great buy for their size and quality.
Includes:
Wire Carrying Cage
72" Mya Hose
Hookah Head
Gaskets
Metal Screen
Cleaning Brush
Tongs
1 Dozen Plastic Tips
Sheesha Smokers: Beware! (Hukka)
Facts about sheesha:
1.Symptoms reported by sheesha smokers include headaches, blurred vision, palpitation and dizziness.
2.Sheesha smokers have higher levels of carbon monoxide in their blood than cigarette smokers.
3.Burning jurak with coal results in greater absorption of carbon monoxide than when an electrical device used.
4.Smoking sheesha just before sleeping greatly increase absorption of carbon monoxide.
5.Sheesha smoking may increase the risk of heart disease, arterioscleroses and chronic respiratory disease.
6.Sheesha smoking stunts fetal growth.
7.Sheesha smoke may trigger an asthma attack.
8.Sheesha smokers exhibit higher levels of total cholesterol than cigarette smokers.
9.Smoking sheesha increases gastric acidity, thus increasing the chance of peptic ulcers.
10.Passing the sheesha from person to person is unhygienic and may result in transmission of communicable diseases.