Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Monday, February 23rd, 2009 |
Preparing itself for the Photo Marketing Association trade show (also known as PMA), which is to take place in Las Vegas, March 3-5, Canon announced an impressive number of cameras that are to be launched in the market. Impressive, the number of devices, this isn’t something we can say about the devices themselves.
The only one which stands out is the Canon PowerShot D10, which is the first waterproof digital compact camera, equipped with an impressive 12.1 megapixel resolution. The camera was designed for all those who live an adventurous life, who have the most active lifestyles possible and combines tough qualities with outstanding image quality. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you’re surfing, skiing, snorkeling or mountaineering, because the PowerShot D10 is the perfect companion.
<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->
The features it comes equipped with include: the 12.1 megapixel resolution, a 3x optical zoom provided with optical Image Stabilizer, resistance to water (up to 10 meters), shocks (1.22 meters), freeze (-10 degrees Celsius) and to dust, Smart Auto mode with Scene Detection Technology, DIGIC 4 for ultra-fast response, IS and Motion Detection Technology (meant for combating blur), Face Detection Technology, Face Select, Track and Blink Detection, 30 frames per second VGA movies and the special 2.5†PureColor LCD II protected by a 2 millimeters protective shield.
If you want to keep your camera safe in all sorts of “dangerous†environments, Canon comes with a special offer consisting of protective accessories like a soft case, shoulder, neck and carabiner straps.
A great thing about this Canon waterproof camera is the fact that it gives users the possibility to increase the capacity storage with SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus and HC MMCplus card formats.
“The PowerShot D10 is a boundary-breaking cameraâ€, said Rainer Fuehres, head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. In addition, he said that “it brings the hallmarks of the PowerShot range – exceptional imaging and ease of use – to places where many other cameras simply cannot goâ€.
The $329.99 camera is expected to become available sometime in May 2009.
Posted in News | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 |
This is a story about being an artist, living the most unbelievable life possible, having the wildest dreams that a human being can have and, more important than anything else, making them come true. When you’re a singer and you want to stand out from your competition, you don’t care about the means very much, because all you can think of is the fact that you must become famous.
This is what happened with Josh Pyke, an Australian singer-songwriter, who had the crazy idea of commissioning a stunning guitar boat. The weird demand of the artist was more than justified, if you think about it, because there’s nothing in the whole world to catch the general attention than those things that are far from crossing humans’ minds on a regular basis.
This guy converted the guitar-shaped boat into a genuine star, because it appeared in a video for a song with the title “Make you happyâ€. After taking advantages of the awkward presence of the boat in the video, Josh Pyke decided to auction it off, in his attempt to raise funds for Indigenous Literacy Project.
<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->
“Seeing the guitar boat clip spread around the world has been one of the highlights of releasing this album [Chimney’s Fire] so farâ€, said the artist in a discussion with the guys from Undercover News. In addition, he said that “I love the idea that its charm will now go towards helping something I’m passionate aboutâ€.
Maybe you’re eccentric human beings who’d love to have their own guitar-shaped boat or you are generous and always ready to make a good deed, so I’m sure you’re interested in information about the auction. Therefore, the boat is going to hit an auction that is said to take place on eBay from February 9 to February 12.
However, if you don’t have the means to participate to this auction, maybe you’d like to see the boat before being sold, and you can do this by visiting the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
(Source: gadgets.boingboing.net)
Posted in Funny Gadgets, Green Gadgets, News | 1 Comment »
Sunday, December 28th, 2008 |
I was 18 years old when I first drove a car as I decided it was time for me to get my driving license. Even if I was never very much into cars and driving them has never been a hobby of mine, I can’t say that the lack of interest I’ve always proven concerning this area was somehow a disadvantage and I was never afraid of driving. My only fear was related to other people and their driving skills. You can never know the crazy people one can “intersect†on road.
The worst thing that can happen to someone is to fall asleep while driving, which is the cause of so many accidents nowadays. Fortunately for those who are bold enough to drive a car when being so very tired, the Mercedes E-class is smart enough to know when you’re on the point of closing your eyes and to attempt to wake you up. It sounds like a fairytale, isn’t it? Not to mention the fact that the car will also make a very strong suggestion to the exhausted driver: to make a pause and drink a cup of coffee.
<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->
The guys over Mercedes worked hard on Attention Assist, an impressive program which is based on numerous studies, meticulously concretized in conclusions that are meant to help people whenever they need. They studied the connection between the brainwaves of sleepy individuals who dare to drive their cars and their physical behavior. This way, they managed to develop a car that is able to know when you’re on the point to fall asleep at the wheel.
The sensors placed in the steering wheel helps the system notice when something like this happens and a noisy alarm will immediately bring you back to reality. Then, as you can see in the picture above, the “pause†message will appear on the display, so you’ll know that is time for a coffee break.
This means that if you’re one of those who can hardly wait for the new E-class, which is expected to come out in 2009, you will most probably be among the fortunate ones to drive a smart car equipped with the Attention Assist. Let’s just hope that it won’t be smarter than the driver.
(Source: gizmodo.com)
Posted in News | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 |
<-125x125 Button - left->
I’m very impressionable when it comes to aged people, maybe because I’ve been raised by my grand-parents and almost everything I know is the result of a very special relationship with two human beings that dedicated their lives to see me the person I am today. Having them around from the moment I was born, I became conscious about the importance of taking care of our dearest ones, irrespective of their age.
I have always said that my grand-father is one of my best friends and I’m telling you: age isn’t a boundary when it comes to friendship. That’s why, seeing a device like the Mamoru robot makes some cold shivers going down my back. This conceptual robot was designed and developed by the University of Tokyo and is aimed at assisting old people in their everyday routine.
Maybe you wonder how something like this is possible, as the robot doesn’t have arms or legs, so there’s no way for Mamoru to be an active presence in your grand-mother’s house. However, the robot has something that many old people don’t. And I’m talking about memory.
As the elder-care resources are never enough, Mamoru had to be invented. Look at its eyes. They’re nothing but wide angle camera lenses that help the robot scan the objects it runs across which is possible due to the image recognition software. This could be very helpful for someone who can’t remember where he/she put the glasses or the remote control. Mamoru will act just like a loving grandson, reminding politely the grand-parent the place where those things are. More than that, there’s a special function that allows the user to program Mamoru to remind him when to take medication.
This is pretty impressive, I agree, but I’m not sure how effective a soulless object can prove itself to be. I don’t know if the best solution for the care of old people is to be left to robots. It sounds impersonal, especially if you think that we’re talking about those who raised us and who spared no efforts in order to make us the happiest people on earth.
(Source: Dvice)
Posted in News | 1 Comment »
Saturday, November 29th, 2008 |
<-125x125 Button - left->
Even if everyone in my country says that we’re passing through a transitional period for some time now, this doesn’t seem to reflect on the streets, where some of the most expensive and luxurious cars of the world can often be seen, being quite common nowadays. I remember the times when having a BMW was one of the most exciting news you could ever give to your friends and family, and why not, to your envious neighbors. However, today nothing seems to impress anymore, because BMWs are almost everywhere.
And if you don’t get to see the cars, because in many cases the whole point of buying such a vehicle is just another way to impress people, as they can’t really afford having them on streets, but parked deep in their garages, you will surely see the keys.
But what about a multifunctional key, that not only sets your car going, but also pays for the dinner you’ve just had with a bunch of friends. BMW Group Research and Technology came up with a prototype for a multifunctional care key that is designed to enable payments.
Hans-Jörg Vögel, project manager at BMW Group Forschung und Technik, said that “as part of our research project we first integrated a security chip into the key casing, which communicates across short distances by radio with a card readerâ€. Therefore, this is a very quick and convenient way, not to mention secure, for you to make electronic payments for whatever you might consume.
Another audacious purpose of the BMW team is to make the key work in other areas, such as the transport systems. This means that the integrated chip will also store electronic tickets for bus, train and air travel.
If you think about it, this credit card function does more than just paying your restaurant bill. To be more precise, the key is this way personalized and linked to a certain person. This means that the person who holds the key can benefit the secure in-car access to all sorts of personal information. That is possible because the key is actually the authorization the driver needs for online access to his personalized Connected Drive services inside a BMW.
This is a very clever key, alright, that does everything in order to make you happy, remembering the individual settings and automatically adjusting, for example, the seat and mirror positions. I could bet all my money on the fact that you’d like to have something like this in your pocket. Oh yeah, you’d need also a BMW in your garage!
(Source: Dvice)
Posted in News, Techno gadgets | No Comments »
