Computer Gadgets New

Asus has introduced a new series of concept computers with outer casings that are supposedly to be made out of bamboo (yes, the plant). If this is ever implemented, I think Asus will be in a win-win situation. Bamboo, of course, is environmentally friendly, very cost efficient, proven to be stronger than steel (in the sense of durability, strength, toughness, flexibility, etc.) and there is already a large quantity available from farms throughout the world. That’s not even mentioning the fact that some of its shoots are edible, and that these shoots are extremely healthy. The only disadvantage that comes to mind with this concept is… nothing, actually. The bamboo case will be easily replaceable, and won’t choke the earth when it gets thrown out because it’s biodegradable. Expect a bamboo Asus U6 and S6 to be part of the line-up once it gets out of concept stage. Meanwhile, there might also be well a variant of the Essentio 110 Mini PC and its partner monitor, the ASUS LS201. Cross your fingers until the day of product release comes.

Via [Electronista]

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The MiniGod limited edition speaker will definitely appeal to folks who find archeology interesting, as it resembles one of those olden gods of yore carved on a totem pole in ancient civilizations. It is powered by a 9V battery, so you can forget about having it pump out high quality sound. I guess this is meant to please the eyes more than the years, and for $120 a pop, you can get much better alternatives (although those won’t be talking points in your home).

Another day, another cell phone watch. This GSM offering features the following specifications for you to act out your Dick Tracy fantasies :-

• Network: GSM 900/1800MHz
• 2GB internal memory
• Interface language: Chinese, English, French, Russian, Arabic, Vietnamese
• SIM card: unlocked
• Screen: 1.3″ touch screen
• Camera: 1.3 megapixels
• Multimedia: MP3/MP4 file playback
• GPRS support
• Bluetooth: A2DP
• microSD memory card slot

Available in black or white colors, you can pick up this standard cell phone watch for $155. Remember to get a Bluetooth headset to go along with it so that you won’t look too ridiculous talking to your wrist (although it sounded like a cool idea back in the early 1990s). A 1.3″ touch screen isn’t much space to move around in, so having a tiny stylus is a must.

Dolby Laboratories unveil its next-generation PC Entertainment Experience program, a suite of Dolby audio postprocessing and connectivity technologies. The latest updates to the Dolby PC Entertainment Experience program consist of second-generation Dolby Home Theater, which places listeners in the middle of the action, giving their PCs a powerful set of tools to deliver a cinema-style experience in vivid surround sound, and second-generation Dolby Sound Room, ideal for environments where using surround sound speakers is not practical.

Also new, Dolby Control Center is a user-friendly graphic interface that makes it easy to configure and control the listening experience. It features simple onscreen controls and interactive visuals for selecting speakers and fine-tuning surround sound effects.

Second-generation Dolby Home Theater now offers the following:

Sound Space Expander is a sound stage enhancer that produces a wide stereo image and in the process improves the separation of instruments without diminishing the center of
the mix.

Natural Bass is a bass enhancement system for speakers and headphones that provides up to an octave of downward extension in the bass response of most speakers.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx creates a vivid 7.1-channel surround sound experience from any stereo (two-channel), 5.1, or 6.1 movie, music, TV, or game audio source.

Dolby Digital Live converts any audio signal from a PC or game console into Dolby Digital for easy connection to home theater systems through a single digital cable.

Dolby Headphone technology creates a personal surround sound experience using any set of headphones and makes listeners feel like the action is happening all around them.

Second-generation Sound Room now offers the following:

Sound Space Expander is a sound stage enhancer that produces a wide stereo image and in the process improves the separation of instruments without diminishing the center of
the mix.

Natural Bass is a bass enhancement system for speakers and headphones that provides up to an octave of downward extension in the bass response of most speakers.

Dolby Headphone technology creates a personal surround sound experience using any set of headphones and makes listeners feel like the action is happening all around them.

I just hate the din that an alarm clock makes in the morning, as it is a real chore to get up and out of bed, even more so when one has had a rough night the day before. The Time Bomb Alarm Clock takes no prisoners though, as it comes with a glowing red LED display, an alarm countdown with the classic ‘tick tock’ sound as seen on TV that results in a loud explosion should you fail to heed its warning. The Time Bomb alarm clock will retail for £19.99 and will probably jolt even the dead from their sleep. Hopefully your neighbors won’t file a police complaint against you once you use this as the primary means of waking up from your slumber.

Green enough to pick up the EPEAT Gold qualification at least, giving Lenovo the honour of being the only computer manufacturer to offer such a distinction. For those who are not in the know, EPEAT stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool and a gold rating means the manufacturer has risen to the organization’s highest plateau of environmentally responsible efforts. So if you plan on expanding or upgrading your department by purchasing new computers, picking any Lenovo ThinkVision monitor from the L151, L171, L171P, L194 Wide, L190X, L220X Wide, L174 and L197 Wide range will have a minimal environment impact compared to other choices in the market. The L174 and L197 Wide are priced at $239.99 and $259.99, respectively. [Press Release]

Research In Motion (RIM) has an old fashioned idea to deal with a new and growing problem: mobile phones with cameras. Mobile cameras have been at the center of more than one national scandal, and it seems that RIM believes that businesses and organizations may want a way to disable cameras on mobile phones as needed. The company is proposing the use of a key, according to a patent application filed by the company.

The locking key could come in many forms. RIM suggests the use of a removable pin, small card, or even a good ol’ lock on a pin to prevent its removal. I imagine the lock could be introduced by any third-party that wants to prevent a person from bringing a phone on premises while still allowing the owner to keep the mobile phone with them for e-mail or voice calls. RIM submitted its patent application for the different camera locking solutions last week.

Just because RIM submitted a patent application doesn’t mean it’s a given that we will see one of these camera locking mechanisms in the near future. Still, it reinforces the notion that there is more than one person out there who thinks there needs to be a way to disable cameras on mobile phones without having to confiscate the phone itself. To date, many phone manufacturers have been simply answering the problem by providing companies with the ability to secure a phone without a camera. RIM’s solution at least keeps functionality while allowing for some security.

Read more from RIM’s patent application.

I know that the name Oral Grip Machine might elicit a snigger or two from some of you, but this is a pure, clean gadget that is meant to exercise your mouth. When used up to 4 times a day for 3 minutes at a time, the manufacturer claims that you will end up with a more beautiful smile. You can choose from three colors and resistances - normal for men, soft for women, and rehabilitation for seniors and children. The Oral Grip Machine is also known as Yumi, retailing for $50 a pop. There might be no electronics involved, but anything that help you get a million dollar smile ought to be worth the effort.

Google has finally gotten what it has long wanted as the European Commission has cleared Google’s $3.1 billion buyout proposal to online advertising company DoubleClick. The EU has been deliberating on Google’s proposal since November 2007 after it has passed through the U.S. Anti-Trust Authorities.

In its in-depth investigation of the two companies involved, the EU has concluded that the pending transaction poses no threat to consumers in both ad serving and online advertising markets. Neither of the two companies exert significant competitive constraints on each other’s activities, the EU also note. Hence, the proposed Google acquisition will not affect competition within the European Economic Area (EEA).

During the course of the EU investigation, several competitors and concern trade companies have expressed concern over the adverse impact of the acquisition on the current state of the online advertising market. Particularly some parties were afraid that if the two companies merged, Google might have dominance on the online advertising market and lead to Google marginalizing its competitors. But the EU said that it would not happen since there are credible ad serving alternatives to which customers can switch. The EU cited Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL.

Additionally, the EU said that the merging of the two companies will not close off competitors’ access to the ad serving market because doing so would not be profitable for Google and DoubleClick.

The EU based its decision to clear Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick on EU existing merger regulations and that the decision was arrived at without any prejudice to Google and DoubleClick’s obligations under EU policies. This pertains to legislation relating to protection of individuals and their privacy.

Read [CNN Money]

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CeBit is one of the world’s largest computer conventions, but after the massive product announcement downpour of the last two months, it seems there wasn’t anything new to discuss in the exhibitor halls in the last week.

So how did the companies keep everyone’s attention? By letting people play with touchscreens, and believe it, nothing is hotter right now than touchscreens. In the T-Mobile area, an extended Media Wall was placed in the middle of the space, but the most interesting part about it was its transparency, which we haven’t seen before. We’re not sure if this was a Han Wall or not, but it seemed to work as a good advertising model.

And yes, the transparency makes the screen resemble the ones from the film Minority Report (how many times have you heard that comparison in the last couple years? Everyone say Aye). Check out the video below.

Unfortunately, no one moved a couch to the front of screen to jump on it maniacally while moving around objects on the screen and sweating out the framing of a crime of passion.

While browsing through other CeBit clips on YouTube, we came upon this old German video from the 1987 convention that features the then-innovative CD-ROM technology and a peculiar PC graphic happily welcoming viewers. It’s funny and in a foreign language, and those two things are not mutually exclusive.