Become a fan of Slashdot on Facebook

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Displays

Submission + - 80" projection from only 63cm away from the wa (diginfo.tv)

Submitted by
DigInfo News
DigInfo News writes: "Hitachi will release the world's first front projector CP-A100 which utilizes the free-form surface lens mirror to project the shortest distance away from the wall. The 80" inch image is from a projector which is only 63cm away from the wall. The distance between the projector and the wall was reduced to about a quarter compared to previous models."
Displays

Submission + - LCD screen with Embedded Optical Sensors

Submitted by dk3nn3dy
dk3nn3dy writes: Sharp has developed a LCD display with optical sensors built into the displays pixels, without requiring a touch-sensitive film to be bonded on top of the regular screen. The optical sensor is similar to that used in scanners, allowing for notes or business cards to be scanned by the screen itself. As the optical recognition technology is built into the pixels it also simplifies tactile recognition based on simultaneously touching multiple points. Future uses include fingerprint authentication on the screen of your mobile phone or PDA, or iPhone style touch recognition. Volume production will start next spring.
Sci-Fi

Submission + - Breakthrough revolutionises microchip patterning

Submitted by Stony Stevenson
Stony Stevenson writes: US research engineers claim to have developed a low-cost technique for patterning microchips that allows them to create ultra-small grooves on microchips as easily as "making a sandwich". The simple, low-cost technique results in the self-formation of periodic lines, or gratings, separated by as little as 60nm, or less than one ten-thousandth of a millimetre.

Features of this size have many uses in optical, biological and electronic devices, including the alignment of liquid crystals in displays. The ease of creating the lines is in marked contrast to traditional fabrication methods, which typically use a beam of electrons, ions or a mechanical tip to 'draw' the lines into a surface.
Graphics

Submission + - Hybrid mesh replaces polygons to display 3D/CAD (diginfo.tv)

Submitted by
dk3nn3dy
dk3nn3dy writes: "Japanese company Digital Process, have developed VridgeR, software which uses DVX, a special rendering technique that doesn't use polygons, and can display massive, highly complex models (for example whole cars or planes which would normally require millions of polygons to be displayed with precision) using standard hardware. 20GB of aircraft CAD data can be loaded onto less than 1GB RAM with complete mathematical precision. English video news story here."
Music

Submission + - Music Protection Racket in Australia (news.com.au) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The "Phonographic Performance Company of Australia" (PPCA) has just won the right to start charging all venues playing music $1.05 per person — based on the capacity of the venue, not the attendance. Dance party's will be charged $3.07 per person. This represents an increase of over 1000% in both cases. Full story at http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,22053835 -16947,00.html.
Portables

Submission + - Portable Solar Charger (diginfo.tv)

Submitted by
DigInfo News
DigInfo News writes: "Soleitec has developed their portable solar charger that can provide power for all your portable devices. The cell has an internal battery so it can store charge, a non-reflective coated to increase power output and an energy conversion efficiency of 21.5 percent. Soleitec is planning on distributing this product world wide and their new prototype is smaller but provides more power and comes with a retractable cord and belt clip so it travels easily."
Wireless Networking

Submission + - Wireless Portable USB Gateway (mavericksys.co.kr)

Submitted by donjamin
donjamin writes: Maverick Systems have developed the worlds first portable wireless Internet gateway. Allowing for one Internet connected PC to share the connection without the need for cables. Working the same way as a conventional router, the gateway can be plugged into a USB port and allows for instant Internet sharing. The card is unique because it functions as a Router, Access Point and LAN card, and is compatible with NAT, DHCP and static or dynamic IP addresses. The connection can be shared by up to 32 computers simultaneously, and plugged into a base station allowing for a conventional wired LAN connection. Video News report in English is here.
Communications

Submission + - VoIP plugin for customer support (diginfo.tv)

Submitted by
dk3nn3dy
dk3nn3dy writes: "FreeBit (google translation from Japanese) have developed a Voice over IP service for websites which requires no applications to be installed on the users computer. Ad Sip is an Active X plugin for Internet Explorer, which uses the companies Emotion Link Active Node, allowing for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to be assigned to applications. Businesses can have the service on their web site and customers can call them directly for free from anywhere in the world allowing for easy access to call centers. The system can be used in a range of situations including sales and support, making hotel and restaurant bookings or service and product inquiries. Video News report in English is here."
Communications

T-Mobile UK Blocking Mobile VoIP Start-Up 114

Posted by Zonk from the can't-catch-a-break dept.
wjamesau writes "The war between telecoms and VOIP heats up: according to Om Malik, T-Mobile UK is refusing to interconnect with mobile VoIP provider Truphone, a UK start-up with a mobile VoIP client that enables calls cheaper than mobile. 'T-Mobile told Truphone, that as a result of a policy decision, they don't connect to VoIP-based low cost calling services. T-Mobile UK's decision to block Truphone might have come as a response to the new and radically better Truphone 3.0 client that allows you to send Free SMS messages and allows VoIP calls over 3G. According to M:Metrics, nearly 86% of UK mobile users are heavy SMS users, and that means it is a cash cow that carriers like T-Mobile can't afford to be slaughtered by IP-based SMS services.' Can mobile companies successfully crush VOIP competitors like this?"
United States

Submission + - US copying laptop hard disks+password upon entry

Submitted by
Flo
Flo writes: "According to Fefe, a German blogger, U.S. officials copy hard disks of laptops upon entry. They even insist on the disclosure of passwords so they can decrypt files. Allegedly they even take people into coercive detention to retrieve the passwords. Fefe's sources are one member of the (German) Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and one employee of SAP. He also claims to have received confirmation for this from "two other large companies"."

Top Ten Geek Wallets 223

Posted by kdawson from the in-your-pocket dept.
twentyxtysix writes, "Productdose.com has a rundown of the the top ten wallets for geeks, including an RFID blocking wallet and a wallet made out of Tyvek designed to look like dot-matrix paper. Its an entertaining read that even includes a DIY illuminating wallet."

The New Link Between Designer and Developer 70

Posted by Zonk from the brain-to-brain-contact dept.
Scott Kinder writes "Ryan Stewart of ZDNet discusses the importance of the workflow between designers and developers. Both Adobe and Microsoft have a lot at stake in their respective software projects. Given how important experience is in making software, ensuring that it is easy for designers and developers to work together is more important than ever." From the article: "The key here is going to be the workflow between designers and developers and making sure that the tools support both types of content creators. Creating world class RIAs simply will not be possible without an efficient workflow between the two areas. Adobe has focused a lot on incorporating Adobe and Macromedia products, making sure that designers can easily move between both companies software. But they haven't quite perfected the designer/developer workflow, and I think Microsoft has a bit of a head start here. The Expression Suite seems built from the ground up to work well with their developer tools. The question will be whether or not designers will use these new tools."

Children Arrested, DNA Tested for Playing in a Tree? 957

Posted by Cliff from the children-shouldn't-need-to-be-scared-this-straight dept.
skelator2821 wrote in with another account of a police action gone way overboard. From the article: "To the 12-year-old friends planning to build themselves a den, the cherry tree seemed an inviting source of material. But the afternoon adventure turned into a frightening ordeal for Sam Cannon, Amy Higgins and Katy Smith after they climbed into the 20ft tree - then found themselves hauled into a police station and locked into cells for up to two hours." skelator2821's basic question in all of this: "What is this World coming to? Do you think they went to far?" Well? Do you?

Slashdot Top Deals

Is your job running? You'd better go catch it!

Close