PaperPhone, the world’s first flexible smartphone

It’s Mother’s Day, but since cellphones are more important than our moms, I thought you’d be interested with this new device.

Researchers in Canada have unveiled a prototype of their PaperPhone, a flexible paper-thin smartphone that is pretty much capable of doing what your current phone does, such as make calls, send text messages, display books, play music and navigate apps. But here’s the interesting part: the PaperPhone uses no power when nobody is interacting with it.

See the whole thing after the jump.

Nintendo’s highly successful Wii game console

It’s official. The successor to Nintendo’s highly successful Wii game console will hit the market in 2012, with a prototype expected to debut at an expo later this year.

Nintendo Co. confirmed for the first time that it is developing a follow-up to Wii, the top-selling game console that the Japanese company launched in 2006. Nintendo is reportedly planning to give people a glimpse of the new system at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles from June 7-9. Little is known of the new Nintendo game console, with the company saying only in a statement that it “will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo.”

Monday’s announcement came after several websites reported about the coming of a new Wii version. The Wii, which has so far sold 86 million units, is showing signs of slowing down amid mounting challenge from the more technically-advanced PlayStation 3 and Xbox360 by rivals Sony and Microsoft, respectively.

Nintendo’s Wii announcement was part of its annual financial report, which indicated declining sales for the second-straight year.

South Korean firm Samsung‘s Galaxy smartphones and tablets

Is South Korean firm Samsung‘s Galaxy smartphones and tablets mimicking Apple‘s iPhone and iPad designs? The Steve Jobs-led American company thinks so.

Apple Inc filed a case against Samsung Electronics late last week for what the iPad-maker calls “blatant copying” of its famous tablet and smartphone’s design and other features, including icons on screen. “Samsung has made itsGalaxy phones and computer tablet work and look like Apple’s products through widespread patent and trade dress infringement,” Apple said in the suit filed Friday. “Apple seeks to put a stop to Samsung’s illegal conduct and obtain compensation for the violations that have occurred thus far.” Apple is seeking redress from 16 alleged wrongdoings by Samsung, including 10 patent infringement charges.

Samsung, which is touted as Apple’s fiercest competitor in the tablet market, has vowed to fight the suit through “appropriate legal measures” in order to protect its own intellectual property rights. “Samsung’s development of core technologies and strengthening our intellectual property portfolio are keys to our continued success,” the South Korean company said in a statement.

Apple‘s white iPhone Coming Soon!

The long wait may be finally over for those who have been saving up to get their hands on Apple‘s white iPhone.

According to two people familiar with the goings on inside Apple Inc., the company has started production on the white iPhones. The sources said the white iPhones may be formally launched within a month. A source cited by Bloomberg said the release would probably take place at the end of April. The white iPhone will be available via AT&T and Verizon, according to the source. The white version of the popular smartphone will reportedly be assembled by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., which is owned by Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group.

Production of the white iPhone, which was first introduced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs in June 2010, has been delayed due to manufacturing problems that the company has refused to fully explain. Apple has still to announce an official release date for the white iPhone, although the company’s senior vice-president, Phil Schiller, tweeted last month that the gadget would be available by spring.

Commodore 64 makes return

You know you grew up in the 80′s if your first computer was a Commodore 64. Now the once-popular 8-bit home computer is back with all the technology of a modern PC packed inside.

The new Commodore 64 begins shipping at the end of the month, and according to the company’s website, the device features “genuine Cherry brand key switches, which provide a feel much better than the original, with a lovely IBM classic mechanism and click sound.”

Priced between $250 to $900, the updated C64x comes with a Dual Core 525 Atom processor and the latest Nvidia Ion2 graphics chipset. The old cartridge port and joystick interfaces are gone, though, replaced with an optional Blu-ray player and Ethernet, USB and HDMI ports.

Nostalgic computer buffs will surely like this makeover. But are they willing to shell out some cash on one of these?

Researchers develop new robot for Japan’s

These are indeed bad times for Japan. One of the strongest earthquakes in all of history hit the East Asian country last month and its Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was heavily damaged following a massive tsunami. According to experts, Japan’s nuclear crisis could become worse than Chernobyl.

Good thing there’s this team of researchers who have developed a robot for exploring restricted areas and tight spaces in the facility. The machine, housed in a waterproof body, has a radiation counter, 3D scanner, and on-board camera capable of panning, tilting and zooming. It also allows humans to check out radiation-impacted areas from afar. As for the efforts to reduce the influence of radiation, the camera of the robot is covered with a lead plate.

Amazing. But we hope for the immediate deployment of the robot to the Fukushima site.

The Keyboard/Sudoku Rubik’s Cube

Tired of your ordinary Rubik’s Cube? Then customize it! Here’s a cool project to do if you have some unused computer keyboards lying around somewhere in your basement or closet– The Keyboard/Sudoku Rubik’s Cube. If you think it’s a long and tedious process to do it, you’re wrong. Just visit Instructables.com for more info.

Hardwood bike from Audi

Let’s face it; most of us can’t afford an Audi. But if you still want people to turn their heads at you when you enter the gates, then you can consider buying this Audi Duo bicycle. It’s so much better than the Audi Skis because you can use it all year round; perfect for exploring the countryside and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

The German automobile manufacturer partnered with Portland bike maker Renovo to offer a two-wheeled, pedal-powered vehicle that embodies the best of both worlds: luxury and performance. The Duo’s primary differentiating feature is its wood frames. Audi has built them out of “woods selected to match the look of Audi vehicle interiors.”

The Audi Duo comes in three varieties: City, Sport, and Road. The first two come with 8-speed Shimano gearing, while the Road has a 20-speed racing setup. The bikes will be for sale (ranging from $6,530 to $7,460) on the Audi Collections website.

Logitec (not Logitech) is releasing this wireless LAN router

Logitec (not Logitech) is releasing this wireless LAN router with unique antenna that supposedly helps achieve an amazing 450Mbps speed on compatible devices. Honestly, this is the craziest router design we’ve ever seen. And if Amelia Earhart was still alive (may she rest in peace), we’re sure she’d be endorsing this item. Called the LAN-WH450N/GR, the device will go on sale in Japan in mid-April for around $230 US.

Apple’s fifth-generation of the iPhone

The guys over at NowhereElse have published a cool infographic that lists all of the popular rumors surrounding Apple’s fifth-generation of the iPhone. Check it out below.

Amazon has beaten Google and Apple in the race to produce a cloud-based music

Amazon has beaten Google and Apple in the race to produce a cloud-based music player with the launch of its aptly named Cloud Player, which allows users to play their mp3s anywhere and anytime.

The Cloud Player gives users the option to save music they buy via the Amazon MP3 Store on the company’s Cloud Drive. Users may also upload music saved on their hard drives. The Cloud Player is available both as a Web browser-based and an Android-based app. Users can also create playlists, organize their collections, and download music to their hard drives.

Storing music on the Cloud Drive is free up to 5GB for all Amazon customers with valid billing address in the U.S. An album purchase through the Amazon MP3 Store increases the storage capacity to 20GB. Users can buy additional storage at $1 per GB if they want to go beyond 20GB.

The Cloud Player’s launch comes amid reported efforts by Google and Apple to come up with their own cloud-based music app.

Porsche 918 review – 2012 Porsche Hybrid Spyder’s

Porsche 918 review – 2012 Porsche Hybrid Spyder’s new hyper car was previously thought to be just a concept but soon after its initial unveiling the company announced it would be putting the dramatic drop-top on the market. It will be a limited edition model however, and very exclusive with a limited run of just 918 going into production. Prices will start at 645,000 euro.

 

 

Porsche’s hybrid hyper car is go! With fuel consumption of 94mpg, but a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds, the 918 Spyder is set to blur the line between performance and economy as never before. Only 918 examples will be made in total at Porsche’s flagship plant in Stuttgart, with production beginning on 18 September 2013 and first deliveries planned for two months later.The price has been set at £678,000, which is nearly three times that of the new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, and almost £250,000 more than the 918’s
predecessor, the Carrera GT.

A signal-boosting antenna for smartphones from Wilson

I have been trying for a while, but I finally got to go hands-on with the Sleek, a signal-boosting antenna for smartphones from Wilson.

The Sleek is designed for use with an automobile. It comes with an antenna that suction cups to the car roof and communicates with the cellular site. It also includes another amplifier that works like a cellular phone cradle, and is powered by through the cigarette lighter that boosts the signal to and from a cell site.

Wilson’s Sleek connects to the smartphone with a mini USB cable, so it will power the cell phone while you are driving. With the help of a Bluetooth headset or a smartphone on speaker, you can have a long conversation for a long drive through “dead zones”.

I wish I had a chance to try this out on some long distance trip. Recently, I drove from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, and I talked on the phone most of the way there. I was surprised that I had clear reception on my Droid X Android phone and didn’t cut out, even though there isn’t much in between those major cities.

If you have a long drive ahead of you through “nowhere”, you might want to get this Wilson Sleek, you should be able to purchase it on Amazon for about $79.99, marked down from $129.95.

U36JC Laptop by ASUS

ASUS has been trying to differentiate itself for a long time in the laptop market and to this end they’ve created the ASUS U36JC. It’s a 13.3 inch machine that’s only .76 inches thick at its widest point. And how much would you expect something so thin to weigh? How about just under 4 pounds? So what do you get inside this little chassis?

The U36JC comes equipped with a Core i5-460M processor and 4 GB of RAM. In addition, it’s packaged with a NVIDIA’s GeForce 310M graphics card and a 500 GB hard drive.

Sounds good so far but does all that outweigh the fact that it doesn’t have an optical drive built-in? Maybe not for some users. Add in the $969 price tag and the novelty of having such a thin case may be a little too late to overcome that sticker shock.

However, the plethora of connectivity may just tip the scale. Instead of being extremely limited as to what you can connect this portable PC to (such as with some newer Mac laptops) this ASUS model has two USB 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 port, and VGA outs in addition to the obligatory HDMI out and Ethernet socket. The 3-in-1 card reader is almost like gravy on top of all that.

There are other laptops out there that do it better (MacBook Airs are thinner and lighter) but ASUS’s new offering will keep you extremely mobile.

If you want the full spec sheet, head on over to the official ASUS website for more info.

iPad 2 new release technology coming this March 2011

Apple just recently released the specifications of its next generation iPad device (named the iPad 2). In comparison to the current version of the iPad the iPad 2 is actually quite an upgrade. So what’s different about this version?

Yes, it will be thinner and lighter but the outside specs aren’t really all that appealing. It’s the internals that will really make the difference.

For starters the iPad 2 will be running on a 1GHz dual core processor (instead of a single core). There will be a front-facing VGA camera presumably for FaceTime video conferencing or just snapping glamour shots of yourself. There will also be a 720p rear camera as well which is something the first generation iPad should have had but didn’t.

The iPad 2 will also come equipped with a gyroscope in addition to the traditional accelerometer which might open up the way for some truly interesting applications (or lead to a bunch of exploitive games clogging the App Store).

In addition, there will be three versions of the iPad 2 ready to overtake the world upon release. Of course you’ll be able to snap up the AT&T version but Verizon will also have its own model. In addition, if you want to go the “cheap” route, there will be a WiFi only model as well.

Other than that, the two will be pretty much the same. Stay tuned for more updates.

The New Ipad 2 Announced

Steve Jobs made a surprising appearance today at the Apple iPad 2 event to personally announce an entirely different second generation iPad.

The new iPad is 33% thinner at only 8.8mm than the previous one which is 13.44mm. It’s very thin that it’s thinner than the iPhone 4. It comes with a new Apple A5 processor which is a dual core cpu that is up to twice as fast as its predecessor and up to 9x faster graphics. iPad 2 also has a rear and front facing cameras that are missing in the current iPad. Also, the new iPad comes in two different colors, black and white.

Apple will be shipping the new iPad starting March 11th with the same price as the previous one starting at $499 (16GB WiFi only) and $629 (16GB WiFi + 3G).

Sneakers That are Perfect in frequent air travelers

Nice kicks! I sooo gotta buy these!

Available in three easy-to-fit-in sizes, these adidas SLVR S-M-L Concept Shoes are perfect for air travel. With their unique 4-way stretch mesh upper, these shoes are easy to get on and off, easy to pack, and light to carry.

Available at adidas’ SLVR online store for $140.

Pagani Huayra, a $1.35 million supercar

This is the Pagani Huayra, a $1.35 million supercar named after an ancient Andean god of wind. The vehicle isn’t really out there yet, but it will be shown to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

If you have that ridiculous amount of money, you’ll get what’s described as a carbon-titanium monocoque chassis cradling a mid-mounted, 700 hp 6-liter AMG-Mercedes derived twin-turbocharged V12 engine. This massive power gets the Huayra up to 60mph in around 3.5 seconds, with a maximum speed of over 230mph. So basically you’ll be traveling faster than the speed of a commercial airliner at takeoff.

The supercar has moving flaps like a jet, and inside you’ll find all the luxury touches you’d expect. Though response to the car’s appearance is mixed, it is guaranteed that any man behind the wheels will score a mega hottie.



Read more: http://dailycontributor.com/pagani-huayra-has-aerodynamic-flaps-like-a-jet-video/20118/#ixzz1DJintviK
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial

New Ipad Apple Commercial!

If you’re an Apple fan like me, the thought of any new advertisement coming from them is exciting. On Wednesday, the Cupertino-based company debuted its latest iPad commercial, the sixth ad from Apple promoting the tablet computer.

Read more: http://dailycontributor.com/apple-releases-new-ipad-commercial/19989/#ixzz1CMmYlGkB 
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial

Nintendo‘s much-awaited 3DS is set to arrive in US stores on March 27

 at an initial price of $249.99, the company announced on Wednesday, according to the Washington Post.

Nintendo said in press conferences held in Amsterdam and New York that more than 30 games will be available during the first few months of the 3DS, which allow users to play video games in 3D without the need of 3D glasses. Games released for Nintendo’s other DS family consoles may also be used with the 3DS, the company said.

Nintendo also announced that the 3DS will have a docking station, a 3D camera, a pedometer, and a StreetPass feature that allows users to interact with fellow gamers within a specific range. For those yearning for the good old days of gaming, the 3DS also includes a feature that permits owners to play classic Game Boy games with the use of the console.

The 3DS will first be released in Japan next month, then in Europe just days before it hits North America.

Read more: http://dailycontributor.com/nintendo-3ds-to-hit-us-market-in-march/19894/#ixzz1BXRo9ILn
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial