Not unlike the Mini-digi which we covered a few weeks back, the Chobi Cam from Japan Trust Technologies gives you the power to shoot photos and videos using a device no bigger than an eraser. Even smaller than the Mini-Digi (2.5 x 1.8 x 1.2 inches), the Chobi Cam measures a miniscule 1.7 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches and weighs only half an ounce...
Continue Reading Chobi Cam is the new king of miniature cameras
Researchers at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas are developing new miniature camera technology and an iris recognition application built on a high-resolution, light and compact platform known as Panoptes. The technology is designed to help the military and border patrol to track combatants in dark caves or alleys and airport security personnel to quickly and unobtrusively identify a subject from an iris scan. ..
Continue Reading Tiny Panoptes technology holds promise for military surveillance and iris recognition
Brickhouse Security’s Micro Bluetooth Earpiece is so small it actually fits inside the ear canal to allow covert two-way communication via any Bluetooth mobile phone or two-way radio. Its size means that a battery is out of the question, so the tiny device is powered by magnetism, which is also used to remove the earpiece from the ear canal...
Continue Reading Invisible Bluetooth Earpiece brings out your inner Secret Service agent
If you don’t trust that shifty-looking night supervisor at the motel or the suspicious-looking smoke detector in your room, or if you just value your privacy, help could be at hand. A quick scan of your room or surrounds with the Chinavision CVMV-J19 Spy Wi-Fi Signal and Camera Lens Detector should let you sleep easy or play hard – in privacy (I guarantee there are a few celebrities who wish they had one)...
Continue Reading Spy vs spy – wireless camera detector lets you sleep easy or play hard (in privacy)
Gizmag has featured a number of GPS based location devices and concepts that are designed to keep track of your most loved people, pets and possessions. From the Nu.M8 child watch system, to a GPS dog-collar device or a range of tracking devices capable of following just about anyone or anything. The latest in an ever expanding range of these gadgets - the Ekahau wrist-tag, is a tracking device that allows monitoring via a Wi-Fi network. When will it end? Not anytime soon - Jude Garvey checks out three different tracking systems on (or soon to be released on to) the market.
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Continue Reading GPS-based location devices: have we become too security-conscious?
The cost of securing large properties with physical barriers like fences or conventional electronic surveillance systems can be quite prohibitive but a new invention from Tel Aviv University promises a cheap, effective solution in the form of a network of tiny sensors as small as dewdrops. Called "Smart Dew", the devices can be scattered outdoors on rocks, fence posts and doorways, or even indoors on the floor of a bank to serve as invisible security guards with each individual "dew droplet" capable of detecting an intrusion within a parameter of 50 meters (165 feet). ..
Continue Reading Tiny Smart Dew sensors promise low-cost security solution
Watching the clock gets a whole new meaning with Thanko’s MP4 Watch. Seemingly straight out of Q’s arsenal the watch that features a full color 1.8-inch LCD screen as well as a voice recorder and tiny camera that can record video at 352 x 288 resolution and take photos at 640 x 480 resolution – perfect for any aspiring James Bond wannabes. ..
Continue Reading MP4 Watch records and displays video – and tells time!
December 22, 2008 Torrey Pines Logic has designed an optical system that allows people to speak to the person they’re looking at. The LightSpeed uses infrared LEDs to transmit the wearer’s voice via a secure optical beam to another LightSpeed model. The data channel used by the binoculars can accommodate Ethernet, video streaming and multi-channel audio data, and the devices transmit data at 1Mpbs, at distances exceeding 5km. ..
Continue Reading LightSpeed binoculars transmit sound and video
Designed for capturing raw, natural images without the subject being aware that they are being photographed (and ruining that elusive photo-realism), or lets face it, for just plain snooping around, the Super-Secret Spy Lens allows you to take shots at right angles to the camera lens. Working like a periscope for your SLR, the lens adaptor also rotates through 360 degrees so you can snap subjects above and below you as well as to the left or right, all while you appear to be shooting directly in front...
Continue Reading Super-Secret Spy Lens for your SLR
In some interesting news for Bond fans, the build-up to the latest film release in the long-running franchise has resulted in a photo-shoot featuring the largest number of genuine 007 cars ever captured in one location. The 19-page spread in the November issue of Octane magazine showcases nine cars that appeared in films shot between 1964 and 2008. Not surprisingly, the Aston Martin marque features heavily staring with the DB5 from 60's classics Goldfinger and Thunderball...
Continue Reading Genuine Bond cars gathered for historic photo shoot
For those occasions when a bullet-proof gentleman’s square just won’t do, there is the bullet-proof polo shirt. The US$12,000 anti-ballistic shirt from Columbian designer Miguel Caballerois is made of ultra-lightweight, bullet-proof fabric and features removable ballistic panels designed to offer protection from weaponry ranging from a 9mm pistol to an Uzi. ..
Continue Reading Bullet-proof polo shirt
Where would any discerning gentleman be without the humble handkerchief? They provide a fashionable place to deposit one’s nasal excretions, are a convenient place to dry one’s hands when caught without a towel, and are able to deflect bullets when one is caught in the middle of a gunfight. That’s right, the invention we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived with the release of the ‘Bullet-Proof Gentleman’s Pocket Square’. ..
Continue Reading Finally, a bullet-proof handkerchief
It’s frustrating when sophisticated surveillance technology is circumvented by robbers who use a not-so-sophisticated baseball cap to shield their face. Retailers can reclaim the edge with StealthVue’s PennyCam, a hidden camera that provides upwardly-angled pictures of anyone who approaches the counter, delivering a clear, identifiable view of their face.
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Continue Reading StealthVue Pennycam aids reliable surveillance
Vavolo has released this pocket digital video recorder hidden inside a functional pen. The pen has a 1/3 inch CMOS camera that captures AVI video in 360 x 280 resolution and stores it on the built-in 2Gb flash memory. While it can record for more than six hours, the built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery limits recording to three hours per session, which is still likely to be more than adequate in most circumstances. When you’ve done your covert recording, you simply screw apart the pen and plug it into the USB port on your computer for playback. It functions in any recent Windows environment with no set up necessary, and the high fidelity microphone can capture audio from around 2-3 metres, ensuring you’ll get clear audio over a table or in near proximity to your target...
Continue Reading ZRAD covert digital video recording pen
November 6, 2007 Details are still scarce on this upcoming DVR pen that crams a wireless, low-power, digital video recorder - including microphone – into a 0.55 x 5.7inch (1.4 x 14.5cm) form that also works as - yes - a pen. Although the specs are not yet finalized, the device is expected to capture real-time video at 30 fps (320x240) with the ability to activate based on a motion detection system that allows for five different sensitivity levels along with the ability to select specific areas and send an alarm wirelessly to a remote site in the event that motion is detected. There’s also an audio detection capability that triggers the sound recorder and the media is flash memory or Micro SD, with Bluetooth wireless transfer back to PDAs or PCs included...
Continue Reading Bluetooth enabled DVR pen
September 19, 2007 We’ve all seen the seemingly ubiquitous eye in the sky cameras watching us from store ceilings and most of us have probably wondered if anyone actually monitors those things. In an effort to improve the efficiency of such surveillance, Intellivid has developed a Computer Aided Tracking (CAT) tool that incorporates a newly patented adjacency algorithm. The technology uses sophisticated video analytics to streamline video surveillance, giving the ability to seamlessly track in-store movements and create complete end-to-end footage. ..
Continue Reading Intellivid Video intelligence software streamlines in-store security
Spying via mobile phone August 13, 2007 A new software technology available only to law enforcement officers allows officers to listen to room conversations even when a phone is switched off. Known as "Phone Dead", the technology requires just ten seconds physical access to the phone to configure it and subsequent management can be achieved via SMS...
Continue Reading Spying via mobile phone
How do you know when you are being bugged? Granted there is more than one reason why someone might want to see or hear what's going on in a hotel room, but according to retailers Ozspy, the majority of RF detectors are sold to travelling business people who want to ensure that they don't wind up on www.porn.....
Continue Reading How do you know when you are being bugged?
The link between the international espionage and outlandish gadgetry that continues to inspire Mr. Bond and co. is no accident - assassination devices like this KGB issue Lipstick Pistol from the mid-60's are proof of this deadly Cold War ingenuity. Part of the new International Spy Museum collection in Washington, D.C., the 4.5mm single shot weapon disguised as a tube of lipstick was referred to as "The Kiss of Death. Used by KGB operatives during the Cold War, the existence of the weapon was first detected at a border crossing into West Berlin...
Continue Reading Lipstick Pistol - The Kiss of Death
An exhibition featuring the greatest-ever collection of memorabilia from 40 years of James Bond movies was held at the British Science Museum in 2002. Rosa Klebb's Flick-Knife Shoe, Oddjob's deadly Bowler Hat and of course, Q's gadget workshop feature.....
Continue Reading 40 years of Bond gadget's on show
KGB Spy Shoe with Heel Transmitter It looks like a quirky prop from Get Smart, but this 1960's KGB issue Spy Shoe with a radio transmitter concealed in the heel is also a reminder of Cold War reality and the technical innovations that were driven by the need to find new and undetectable means of espionage - in this case you could say the KGB were one step ahead. Used to monitor secret conversations, the shoe's transmitter, microphone, and batteries were imbedded in the heel of a target's shoe. A maid or valet with access to the individual's clothing would be given the job of planting the rigged shoes and activating the transmitter by pulling out a white pin from the heel. ..
Continue Reading KGB Spy Shoe with Heel Transmitter
June 3, 2004 There is no richer source of speculation and intrigue than the realm of international espionage. The deadly real-world ingenuity that inspired 007 and an entire genre of literature can now be seen at the International Spy Museum. The museum is the first dedicated to espionage and provides a global perspective on the craft, practice, history, and contemporary role of the espionage profession. The KGB issue Lipstick Pistol, "Through the Wall" surveillance, tracking devices concealed in shoes and overcoats equipped with button cameras form part of the the extensive collection developed over 30 years and housed at the Museum in Washington, D.C...
Continue Reading International Spy Museum opens its doors
A jamming device that looks like a mobile phone has gone on sale via an electronics supplier in the UK. The jammer - which would be illegal in Australia - blocks signals in a range of up to 15m in optimum conditions and is being promoted for clandestine use on public transport and restaurants...
Continue Reading Jamming device disguised as Mobile Phone
December 14, 2004 A microphone surveillance system based on brain cell research is being used to combat shootings on the streets of Chicago and Los Angeles. The SENTRI system developed by Theodore Berger, director of the University Southern California's (USC) Center for Neural Engineering, has been trained to instantly recognise the sound of a gunshot within a two-block radius with high accuracy. SENTRI can then tag where the shot was fired, zoom in and photograph the shooter with it's built in camera and even make a 911 call to the police station. Police can then remotely control the camera to track the offender and dispatch officers to the scene in an integrated human-computer crime response...
Continue Reading SENTRI surveillance
February 5, 2005 One the most significant machines in the history of computing, not to mention the world of espionage and counter-intelligence, the German Armed Forces during World War 2 relied on the Enigma machine to encrypt the most important and sensitive communications before transmitting the messages by radio. The code was cracked by the allied forces in what has become one of the most celebrated espionage stories ever documented , enabling access to much critical information and shortening the war by several years. there is one of these exceptionally rare and historically significant machines for sale...
Continue Reading Rare Enigma Machine for sale
The forthcoming ST80 point-and-shoot from Samsung will allow users to instantly upload photos and videos while on the move. The 14.2 megapixel camera has built-in WiFi to cater to the immediate sharing of important moments with friends and family via email, or through social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube. The slim compact also features in-camera editing and comes with technology to sync with other wireless devices such as digital photo frames...
Continue Reading Samsung introduces the WiFi-enabled ST80 point-and-shoot
The case for 3D just got stronger with Panasonic announcing the release of the world's first 3D consumer camera for the AVCHD standard. Panasonic has positioned itself at the forefront of 3D camcorder technology and this latest news is significant because previously available professional 3D models are far more expensive, and as a result have not made it into the hands of the general public. The company's new HDC-SDT750 camcorder is likely to be the first of many 3D cameras to reach home movie makers. ..
Continue Reading World's first 3D consumer camcorder unveiled by Panasonic
If you’re interested in shooting 3D but don’t want to go to the expense of shelling out cash for a new camera then Panasonic could have just the thing – provided the camera you’ve got is compatible with Panasonic’s Lumix G Micro System. The company has announced it will offer the first digital interchangeable twin-lens before the end of the year, making it possible to shoot 3D with an interchangeable lens system camera...
Continue Reading Panasonic announces world’s first 3D interchangeable lens
If you’ve ever sold something on eBay or Kijiji, you’ll know how surprisingly difficult it can be to get a clean, well-lit shot of even the simplest of objects - you don’t want a distracting background, insufficient light, or overly asymmetrical lighting. Or, perhaps you’re required to get a large number of on-location shots for something such as a catalog, but you don’t want to drag along a lot of gear. In either case, the Simp-Q is what you need. Putting it simply, it’s a self-contained photo studio. We had a chance to check it out at this year’s China International Consumer Electronics Show (SINOCES), and were pretty impressed with the shots it allowed us to take.
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Continue Reading The Simp-Q portable photographic studio
Samsung has announced that the time has come to add a couple of new flagship cameras to its Dual View range. The new models benefit from even bigger LCD's at the front and rear, some interesting photo modes and both sport 5x optical zoom lenses, one of which has internal zoom functionality. At the same time, the company has also unveiled a feature-rich budget point-and-shoot model capable of recording high definition movies...
Continue Reading Samsung outs new Dual View and budget-friendly camera models
The latest FinePix compact camera releases from Fujifilm offer either 12 or 14 megapixel sensors, between 5x and 18x optical zoom lenses with both wide- and super wide-angle varieties available, and both touchscreen and non-touchscreen LCD displays. Panoramic image sweep and 720p high definition video feature on all four models, and one unit lets users not worry about forgetting to pack the charger by offering power in standard AA battery format...
Continue Reading Four new Finepix cameras from Fujifilm
Before you proudly go posting photos of your Ming vase online, you should be aware that computer-savvy burglars can likely use that photo to find out where you live. The same goes for photos or videos of your kids, yourself, or anything else that you don’t want strangers knowing how to locate. The practice of tracking people via their posted images is an example of “cybercasing”, and is possible because many digital cameras and smart phones, including the iPhone, automatically geotag their images by embedding the longitude and latitude at which they were taken. Even when uploaded to a website, the images still retain this information. By plugging the coordinates into a service like Google Street View, getting an address or an identifying landmark is entirely possible...
Continue Reading Online predators can determine where posted photos and videos were shot
For most of us, holidaying in the sun means dusting off the trusty old camera and snapping some memorable moments around the pool or bar. But if your ancient photographic box is starting to become an embarrassment then a flurry of Lumix releases from Panasonic might be just what you need. There's a rugged model, a couple with touchscreen displays, a couple ultra-wide angle lenses and some capable of full high definition video too. All are storage-friendly SDXC card compatible and include a host of automated settings to help get the best from any situation...
Continue Reading New Lumix digital cameras from Panasonic
Japan camera-maker Cerevo has started a 24-hour live Ustream feed from Akihabara, in cooperation with a company in the area, Aisan Electronic. Recently Cerevo has been capitalizing on the growing popularity of Ustream live-streaming in Japan since Softbank's investment in the web service. By creating their 'networked camera', the Cerevo Camera Live, which is especially tailored for live-streaming, the company rides the coattails of a public increasingly interested in broadcasting on the web. ..
Continue Reading Cerevo's live-to-Ustream camera is now live at Akihabara, 24/7
Movie makers who want to enjoy hours and hours of uninterrupted recording might be interested in a new addition to Canon's VIXIA line of camcorders. The new VIXIA HF M32 can record up to 24 hours of continuous footage on its 64GB internal memory, but should the main storage medium become full, the camcorder can automatically switch over to whatever memory card is sitting in the SDXC slot...
Continue Reading Canon launches dual Flash memory VIXIA camcorder
The interchangeable lens consumer-oriented HD camcorder Sony teased us with when it announced its NEX interchangeable lens digital cameras has now been unveiled. As previously revealed, the Handycam NEX-VG10 features the same Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor found in the NEX-5 and NEX-3 and will be able to share E-mount interchangeable lenses with those devices. Calling the NEX-VG10 the world’s first consumer HD camcorder with an interchangeable lens system, Sony says it enables users to capture images and videos with background defocus effects and shallow depth of field...
Continue Reading Sony unveils world’s first consumer HD camcorder with interchangeable lens system
Chinese photographic accessory company Fotopro has developed a heavy-duty flexible tripod that has interchangeable feet. The Fotopro RM-110 is comprised entirely of adjustable joints and comes standard with four sets of feet: spiked, suction, rubber and magnetic. We’ve tried all four and they offer a stable mount on any surface, but particularly so on flat or metal surfaces - the suction cups and magnetic feet are capable of affixing so solidly they can handle the weight of even a middleweight pro video camera. We’re predicting the USD$60 RM-110 will become a standard fixture in the kit of every photographer and videographer.
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Continue Reading Fotopro’s fully adjustable flexible tripod with interchangeable feet
The Lens-in-a-Cap stereo lens system from Loreo mounts to the front of a digital SLR body to allow users to take side-by-side 3D photographic images. Mounts are available for a host of popular digital SLR cameras and the system will automatically adjust image pitch to suit subject distance. Subsequent images can then be printed out or viewed on a computer screen via a cheap cardboard parallel format viewer...
Continue Reading 3D Lens-in-a-Cap system for digital SLR cameras
At the end of 2009, Nikon managed to secure a nice little order from NASA for a bunch of D3S digital cameras and seven of its AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses. These were destined to be whisked off into space for photographic documentation. Now, humble earthlings are being given the chance to have a look at some of the rather spectacular images taken by astronauts on the International Space Station. To date, NASA has captured more than 700,000 images with its own Nikon equipment, showing off the D3S’ noise suppression features and how well it’s able to cope with the low-light conditions of space...
Continue Reading NASA releases low-light space images captured with Nikon dSLRs
Coming hot on the heels of a firmware upgrade that brought 3D capability to its NEX interchangeable lens digital cameras, Sony has announced it will add 3D capability to its point-and-shoot Cyber-shot digital still camera range with the introduction of the Cyber-shot DSC-TX9 and DSC-WX5. The new cameras will be the first compact digital still cameras capable of capturing panoramic photos in 3D with Sony’s 3D Sweep Panorama function...
Continue Reading New Sony Cyber-shot cameras get 3D capability
In these days of PhotoShop and its brethren, it’s becoming almost impossible to tell whether or not an image has been digitally manipulated. While some ‘shopping is done simply for whimsical reasons (see picture above), the matter becomes a bit more serious when things such as military images are altered. Visible watermarks are sometimes overlaid on digital photos, but these permanently alter and obscure that copy of the picture. Recently, however, researchers in India came up with a system for verifying a photo’s authenticity, without altering it in any way...
Continue Reading Reversible watermarking could thwart digital photo tricksters
The benefits of car night vision systems that enable drivers to see people or animals more clearly on dark, unlit roads have already started appearing in luxury cars. But these systems rely on near-infrared (NIR) radiation, which requires the cars to be fitted with infrared headlights to illuminate the road ahead. Falling into the “thermal imaging region”, Long-wavelength (LWIR) cameras require no such external light source but the sensors require constant cooling, adding to the cost and complexity of such devices. Researchers have now developed a new type of detector which functions at room temperature allowing it to be used in cars and other mobile applications. ..
Continue Reading Long-wave infrared driving cameras on the way
Projecting images onto water surfaces is the latest display technology to get a 3D makeover. With its ability to target light onto and between individual water droplets the AquaLux 3D can display text, video and other moving or still images on layers of falling water. In contrast to existing technologies for projecting images onto water surfaces, AquaLux 3D makes it possible to create 3D images by using multiple layers of precisely controlled water droplets...
Continue Reading New 3D display technology projects multi-layered images onto water droplets
There was a time, not so very long ago, when high-resolution video cameras, non-linear editing suites and the ability to reach millions of potential viewers were exclusively the domain of TV stations. All that has changed, of course, in the past decade or so. What many New Media on-camera personalities still lack, however, is the smooth, polished delivery of professional TV hosts. Is that because the Big Boys and Girls have journalism degrees and years of experience? Perhaps partly, but it’s also because they have a teleprompter feeding them their lines. Now, you can have yours fed to you too, by getting a Prompt-it - a gizmo that turns your iPhone into a teleprompter-on-a-budget. Take that, Oprah Winfrey!..
Continue Reading Prompt-it turns your iPhone into a teleprompter
Ricoh has now announced the availability of a new lens kit for the modular GXR digital camera system. The 10 megapixel S10 wide-angle zoom lens unit features a high-sensitivity image sensor, technology to help prevent blurred images and the ability to fill the frame with an up close and personal subject from less than half an inch away...
Continue Reading Ricoh announces S10 lens kit for GXR system
One of the more remarkable technological innovations amongst hundreds currently on display at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai can be found in the Japanese Pavilion where major sponsors Canon, Panasonic and Toyota are all showing their visions of the future. Most of it we’ve seen before, but Canon’s “Wonder Camera Concept” is entirely new – it’s the camera of the future as visualized twenty years hence by the world’s largest camera company and it is incredibly thought-provoking.
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Continue Reading Canon Wonder Camera Concept displayed at World Expo 2010
Sony has delivered on its promise of a firmware upgrade for NEX interchangeable lens digital cameras which brings 3D capability to Sweep Panorama mode. The company says the free upgrade also improves the normal 2D Sweep Panorama shooting, reduces power drain when the camera is off and delivers faster start-up in low-light conditions...
Continue Reading Sony releases 3D upgrade for NEX cameras
Printers are one of the less exciting PC peripherals going around, yet they are one device that most PC users own. While the “paperless office” was predicted as far back as the mid 70’s history has shown the reverse to be true, with PC’s making it easier than ever to produce hard copies of documents. In my (thankfully brief) time working in IT support for a medium-sized business, printer problems were by far the most common reason for calls for help and of these calls, printer drivers were often the culprit. Anyone who has had to set up a printer has likely also encountered problems with sourcing the right driver for the right system. In developing new web connected and cloud aware printers Hewlett Packard believes it has hit upon a solution that could see an end to driver hassles and give printers much wider functionality, including making printing from mobile devices such as smartphones possible without the need for a PC at all. HP has seen the future of printing and is convinced it lies in the cloud...
Continue Reading HP sees the future of printing in the cloud
Aiptek is about to release a 3D camcorder and a suitably stereoscopic photo frame display which don't require the user to wear any special glasses. The camcorder can take 5 megapixel still images or 720p HD video with its two fixed lenses and sports a 3D live view screen. The 8-inch media display unit can show off still or video images in either 3D or standard 2D and will play MP3 audio files while a user views a slide show or movie...
Continue Reading Aiptek to release 3D camcorder and 3D digital photo frame
If there’s a killer asteroid or comet hurtling towards Earth it’s probably best to know about it sooner rather than later. However, space is a big place and keeping our eyes out for these little blighters is no mean feat even with a mighty automated telescope to hand. Fortunately, astronomers in Hawaii have just announced they’ve successfully managed to boot up the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System) telescope, also known as PS1. Working from dusk-to-dawn every night Pan-STARRS is able to map one-sixth of the sky each month, allowing astronomers to track every moving object, calculate their orbits and identify any potential threats to Earth...
Continue Reading 1,400 megapixel telescope powered-up to spot earthbound asteroids
Flash memory specialist SanDisk has just unveiled its smallest USB Flash drive to date, the Cruzer Blade. About the size of a paper clip and weighing in at just 2.5 grams, the drives come in storage capacities starting from 2GB right up to a 4,000 MP3-capacity 16GB. ..
Continue Reading SanDisk goes micro-size with the Cruzer Blade USB Flash Drive
It seems that barely a day goes by without some new 3D product hitting the shelves. With 3D technology having obvious applications for engineers, designers, architects and computational chemists it’s not surprising to see NVIDIA is set to bring out a new 3D stereoscopic solution aimed at just these markets. The company’s 3D Vision Pro brings true stereo 3D to the desktop along with support for LCD panels to offer a practical way to provide a 3D viewing experience for large scale visualization environments like video walls and collaborative virtual environments (CAVEs)...
Continue Reading NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro has professional market in its stereoscopic sights
A bunch of space-saving, ultra-thin LED monitors has just been announced by Acer. The trio of stylish LED displays benefit from a huge contrast range, brisk response times and a movie-friendly aspect ratio. The S1 series also has the green check-box covered with low power credentials and a manufacturing process which the company says does not use harmful substances...
Continue Reading Acer S1 series ultra-thin LED monitors unveiled
If someone had suggested 20 years ago that a fully working computer with up to 1GHz of processing power would fit on a board the size of a SODIMM memory module (2.66 x 1.44 x 0.2 inches), some lighthearted mockery may have followed. Yet embedded hardware specialist Toradex is about to do just that with its new Tegra T20, a teeny computer module based on NVIDIA's latest Cortex A9 processor that offers full high definition video support, 256MB of onboard memory and a gigabyte of Flash storage...
Continue Reading Colibri's Tegra T20 module is a dual-core 1GHz computer the size of a SODIMM
Apple has added a US$1000 27-inch LED model to its Cinema Display range, slotting it in between the US$800 24-inch LED Cinema Display and range-topping 30-inch HD Display. With a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels the 27-incher offers 60 percent more screen real estate than the 24-inch Display, and an ideal compromise if you shy from the hefty USD$1800 price tag of the 2560 x 1600 pixel 30-incher and can wait until September for the 27-incher to hit the shelves...
Continue Reading Apple’s new US$1000 27-inch LED Cinema Display
While news of the Magic Trackpad leaked back in June, and was later confirmed by the FCC, Apple today made things official. The US$69 device might be just the thing for those of you who don't like the Magic Mouse but still crave a little multi-touch action on the desktop...
Continue Reading Apple's Magic Trackpad gets official
A whopping 511 days after the last Mac Pro update, Apple has finally unveiled the latest Mac Pro, which uses the latest quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors in speeds of up to 3.33 GHz...
Continue Reading Apple updates the Mac Pro
Seagate has unveiled a new centralized wireless home storage and backup addition to its FreeAgent GoFlex hard drive solutions. The single-drive GoFlex Home storage system is said to benefit from easy setup and use, the ability to connect and wirelessly share USB printers or other devices, remote file access and a modular approach to higher capacity upgrades...
Continue Reading Seagate debuts centralized GoFlex storage solution
In what is fast becoming a bit of a trend for ASUS, the company has leaked the first images of a new in-development monster graphics card called MARS 2. The card will feature dual-Fermi graphics processors, potential triple monitor stereoscopic capabilities and will no doubt require some delicate power supply calculations before it even gets near to a motherboard...
Continue Reading ASUS embarks on MARS monster graphics mission
Sharp has announced that its Next-generation XMDF (ever-eXtending Mobile Document Format) standard will be a digital platform for e-book distribution with compatible reader devices to be launched as well, possibly within the year. While the XMDF format has been in use for years already, primarily within Japan, this new 'Next generation' prefix does make the format notable as a competitor in the ebook space. Previously just for text and still images, the refreshed XMDF standard now supports video and audio display as well. ..
Continue Reading Sharp preps next-gen E-book format to compete in digital publishing
OCZ Technology has unveiled its fastest 4GB DDR3 RAM modules yet. Capable of reaching frequencies up to 2133MHz and CL 10-10-10-30 timing, OCZ’s new modules are available in 4GB, 8GB Dual Channel and 12GB Triple Channel kits and feature a liquid cooling system and aluminum fins for maximum heat dissipation. Due to the growth in High Definition and High Quality media, OCZ says it has designed the ultimate in memory technology to ensure that the bottle-neck in your system will not be the memory modules. ..
Continue Reading World’s fastest 4GB DDR3, 2133MHz memory modules unveiled by OCZ Technology
Adventurous types in the digital age need storage that's as rugged and tough as they are. LaCie's says that its appropriately-named XtremKey rugged flash memory will provide the kind of industrial-strength protection that stands up to all sorts of punishment. Resistant to pressure, water, high drops, and extreme hot and cold the drive comes in capacity sizes up to 64GB...
Continue Reading Industrial-strength data protection with LaCie's XtremKey USB Flash Drive
The GeForce GTX460 is NVIDIA's latest addition it its Fermi-class graphics processors. The company promises monster geometry processing power, life-like DirectX 11 gaming graphics and stereoscopic technology. A couple of hundred dollars will be enough to secure the NVIDIA GPU, but it might also be worth checking out overclocked third party developments...
Continue Reading NVIDIA unleashes GeForce GTX 460 GPU
IBM has announced that its first-of-a-kind hot water-cooled supercomputer has been installed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich). Named the Aquasar, the system not only consumes up to 40 per cent less energy than an air-cooled machine but the direct utilization of waste heat in the building's heating system translates to an 85 per cent cut in carbon dioxide emissions...
Continue Reading IBM unveils supercomputer cooled by hot water
Pranav Mistry, Pattie Maes and Liyan Chang from MIT's Media Lab have managed to create an invisible computer mouse for just a few dollars. Using an Infrared laser and tracking camera, the Mouseless system registers and interprets a user's hand movement and translates it into onscreen actions such as cursor movement and button clicking...
Continue Reading Invisible computer mouse cost only $20 to build
Thermal management innovator Asetek has created a 24 inch liquid-cooled all-in-one computer powered by a high-end Intel Core processor, with graphics support from NVIDIA. The near-silent operation AIO prototype offers all the performance benefits of the best performing desktop systems in a space-saving 2.28 inch thick form factor...
Continue Reading Pushing All-In-One performance with the liquid-cooled Asetek prototype
Toshiba and Intel have announced a collaborative project to get a new tablet computer into Japanese schools. The Atom-powered CM1 notebook/tablet will have a rotating touchscreen display and enjoy wireless connectivity to electronic blackboards and classroom projectors...
Continue Reading Toshiba and Intel to launch educational tablet
When we first looked at Diaspora back in May, funds were being raised to build the new social network. Now, after a month of development at San Francisco’s Pivotal Labs, they have released the first still and video images showing how it will work...
Continue Reading One month since funding, Diaspora releases first images and video
Mini desktop computers have been featured a number of times in Gizmag over the years. Most of those devices will rarely enjoy front stage limelight, being tucked behind a monitor or hidden from sight. The new Mini-e from eMachines looks set to change that. It's powered by an Athlon processor and comes with GeForce graphics, a decent amount of memory and a good sized hard drive. But it's the unique design that will make you want to show this beauty off...
Continue Reading eMachines Mini-e ER1402 entertainment mini desktop
Fujitsu has launched an enhancement and three new additions to the company's LifeBook range. The MH330 and MH380 models feature the latest Atom processors, backlit LED displays and DDR3 memory. The TH700 and T730 notebooks come with Dual Digitizer multi-touch screens, the latest Intel Core processors and a range of security features including a BIOS lock, fingerprint reader and 3D shock sensor...
Continue Reading Fujitsu adds four new LifeBook mobile computing solutions
Samsung has unveiled its first 512GB solid state drive with toggle-mode DDR NAND memory. The low power drive offers up to 250MB per second read and 220MB read over a fast SATA 3.0 Gbps interface, which roughly translates to having two 4GB movies stored to the drive in around a minute...
Continue Reading Samsung announces 512GB SSD with toggle-mode DDR NAND Memory
What's a terabyte? It's not all that long ago when you could have been forgiven for asking this question, but with in these days of DVRs and pocket-sized HD camcorders we've become more than familiar with the term. Now Seagate has thrown data storage-hungry consumers another tasty bone with the release of the world's first 3TB external hard drive, the FreeAgent GoFlex Desk. ..
Continue Reading Seagate ups the ante with 3TB external drive
We’ve only recently come to terms with the fact that Windows 7 is the capable, stable OS we’ve been waiting for since XP, and already rumors about the functionality you can expect with Windows 8 are starting to circulate. Initially reported by Italian blogger Francisco Martin, the information we have so far comes from a number of leaked slides that detail a range of interesting improvements, and seem to have some credibility. ..
Continue Reading Windows 8 details leaked, Kinect support and instant boot among the benefits?
It’s been over six years since Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg introduced Facebook – run on a single server – initially to Harvard students and eventually to the rest of the world. Since then, the incredible growth of the social network’s infrastructure means it now needs about 60,000 servers to support its 400 million users. And those users are sharing more than six billion pieces of content per week, uploading in excess of 3 billion photos each month and spending 16 billion minutes on Facebook every day. ..
Continue Reading Users spend 16 billion minutes on Facebook each day
A particularly troubling aspect of enterprise computer deployment is the need for end user machines to remain switched on day and night. Fully on mind you, not in low power sleep mode. Computer scientists from the University of California, San Diego have developed a software solution which allows PCs to remain on the network even when placed in sleep mode at the end of a working day. The software creates a virtual representation of the computer on the server to handle many of the common overnight tasks, only waking up the physical machine at pre-programmed commands or when it encounters something that it can't deal with itself...
Continue Reading New software lets PCs work while they sleep
