Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Cellphones

Surely that “last stand” Motorola handset is still burned into your memory, right? No? Anywho, said mobile was just given a face courtesy of Boy Genius, and it’s an, um, interesting face at that. We’ll let you be the judge on its unsightliness (or beauty, depending on inebriation level), but aside from design, we’re expecting this one to include Windows Mobile 6.1, NVIDIA graphics, a 5- to 8-megapixel camera, A-GPS and a Q4 release date. As always, we’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Displays

It looks like Canon’s laid claim to not one but two “world’s first” titles today, with it rolling out the world’s first WUXGA LCOS in the form of the REALiS WUX10 and the world’s first PictBridge compatible with its new REALiS SX80 (also LCOS-based). In addition to a 1920 x 1200 resolution, the REALiS WUX10 also boasts 3,200 lumens of brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and some of Canon’s propriety features like its AISYS (Aspectual Illumination System) Optical Engine, which promises to maximize the performance of the LCOS panels. The REALiS SX80, on the other hand, takes things down to a still decent SXGA+ resolution, along with 3,000 lumens of brightness, a 900:1 contrast ratio, and that aforementioned USB / PictBridge connectivity. Both models also boast just about all the ports you could want, including DVI, HDMI and component, as well as that all-important built-in 1W speaker. As you might have guessed, neither of them come cheap, although at $3,999, the SX80 is a relative bargain compared to the WUX10’s $12,999 price tag.

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Original post by Donald Melanson

I had the slightly stressful pleasure of attending the 3rd annual New York Comic-Con at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, in midtown Manhattan. For three days, I attended panels, interviewed creators, and dodged streams of Storm Troopers in what was hands-down the show’s biggest year yet.

With an estimated 64,000 attendees in three days, the numbers were about half that of the annual turnout for the legendary San Diego Comic-Con from which NYCC was spun. But this still was a rather staggering showing, given the show’s humble and fairly recent beginnings.

I collected some of my favorite photos from NYCC at PCMag.com, including some of the tech offerings at the event. For more pictures and coverage, check out my companion post at The Daily Cross Hatch.

gearlog561:http://www.gearlog.com/2008/04/the_tech_of_new_york_comic_con.php

Original post by Brian Heater

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Laptops

Grabbing a laptop with a built-in Blu-ray drive isn’t at all difficult; finding one that’s reasonably affordable, however, is. Starting today, users looking to pick up a new BD-equipped lappie can get their kicks for under nine bills, as the base model Inspiron 1525 can be fitted with a Blu-ray combo drive (and the requisite 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo T5550 processor) for the low, low price of $879. Kicking things up to a Blu-ray burner will tack on another $200, and given the 1,280 x 800 screen resolution, we get the idea you’ll be utilizing that HDMI output in order to enjoy the 1080p capabilities (if it’ll even reach above 720p). Still, the aforesaid configuration is pretty lacking in most respects (1GB of RAM, 80GB HDD, and a woefully underwhelming GMA X3100 graphics accelerator), but hey, at least you’ll have Blu-ray! Grab yours now if you’re situated in Canada, Europe or the US of A.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Displays

Face it, the past few decades of flat holograms have been a sham. Baseball cards? Security logos? Software piracy protection? This isn’t what sci-fi had in mind at all. Thankfully, some University of Arizona scientists are getting the technology back on track with a new three-dimensional holographic display. What makes this one special is that the display is dynamic — it can be rewritten with an entirely new image in a few minutes. Obviously the refresh rate’s going to need some work before we’re all chugging along on a holographic workstation, but it’s certainly a start. The current prototype is 4-inch by 4-inch, and only displays in red, but the researchers believe a full color display is feasible, and they’re already at work on a 1-foot by 1-foot version.

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Peripherals

We’ve seen our fair share of flexible keyboards, and yes, we’ve even seen hordes of Skype phones. Thankfully, this particular unit weds the two aforementioned devices into one, creating a single harmonious ‘board that you can freely squeeze while your frustration level skyrockets from yet another troubleshooting call. Hailed as “virtually indestructible,” this unit can even be washed, drenched in soda and curled up for easy transport when not being used to type up your thesis and / or tune in to those totally boring CIA conference calls. Sure, $59.99 may seem a tad steep for a no-name keyboard, but just remember, you’re buying utility here.

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Original post by Darren Murph