The glasses themselves don't need power to block the sun's rays from your eyes. That's power-free. The SIG, or "Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses" are quite simple. The lenses of the glasses have dye solar cells, collecting energy and making it able to power your small devices through the power jack at the back of the frame. "Infinite Energy: SIG"

The dye solar cell is described by the designers of the SIG as "cheap organic dye [used with] nano technology [providing] cheap but high energy efficiency." Inexpensive, light, and visible-ray penetrable. The lens turns sunlight rays, (rays that would otherwise harm the eye,) into electrical energy. yankodesign

Don't look now, but the advertisements are watching you. At a Tokyo railway station above a flat-panel display hawking DVDs and books sits a small camera hooked up to some image processing software. When trials begin in January the camera will scan travellers to see how many of them are taking note of the panel, in part of a technology test being run by NTT Communications. It doesn't seek to identify individuals but it will attempt to figure out how many of the people standing in front of an advertisement are actually looking at it. A second camera, which wasn't fitted at the station but will be when tests begin in January, will take care of estimating how many people are in front of the ad, whether they are looking at it or not. Slashdot

The humble computer mouse celebrates its 40th anniversary today. On 9 December 1968 hi-tech visionary Douglas Engelbart first used one to demonstrate novel ways of working with computers. The first mouse that Dr Engelbart used in the demo at the Fall Joint Computer Conference (FJCC) was made of wood and had one button. Much of the technology shown off in the demo inspired the creation of the hardware and software now widely used. "It was a good show, but it was all real," said Dr Jeff Rulifson, now director of Sun's VLSI research group but in 1968 architect and lead programmer for the software shown off at the FJCC. BBC News

In today's rapid consumerist society, consumption comes into question. How durable do we want our devices to be when they become near obsolete in 5 years? The source materials that make up their build often take hundreds of years to break down. An alternative ideology are disposable products made from natural sources. The Natural Year Phone is made of hay, sans screen and soft keys. yankodesign

Getting out of bed in the morning is no easy task, and the 'snooze' button was obviously invented by some sadist with no interest in you actually getting to work in time. In contrast, the Clocky Runaway Alarm Clock is absolutely committed to making sure you don't miss your train, bus or plane. The moment Clocky starts to beep he launches into action by running away from your fumbling hand. He will roll off your bedside table and trundle about in random directions, ensuring that you have to track him down to turn him off - et voila, you're already up! You can set Clocky to give you one snooze and then run away at the next alarm, or to run off immediately (by setting the snooze to 0) if you know that for you, one snooze is one too many. The alarm clock that really does go off in the morning, literally - pure genius. Ïî èíôîðìàöèè I want one of those

 ‘Window' is an air purifier that looks like an actual window. We're used to looking out a window to gauge our environment but this purifier does the opposite. A transparent LCD becomes dark if it senses the air quality in your home falling dramatically. To turn on the purifier, "slide open" the window to begin the cleaning process. As for the flying paper fish, I have no idea what that is but it seems to show up in a lot of Asian concepts. yankodesign

Samsung's new concept phone shown at the FPD International show in Yokohama comes into play, opening like a book to reveal a flexible OLED big enough to handle those cute puppy videos that no plain-vanilla, 2.5-inch display can do justice. There's no word on when a so-equipped handset might see production -- but we think it's appropriate that it's being shown off in Japan in all places, if you catch our drift. Follow the link for a video. Engadget

Mac Funamizu presents two glass phone concepts. Both have multiple uses (one can be used as a regular stand-up desk clock!) and are extremely prone to fingerprints.These would definitely need protective cases to make it through a day in my pocket, or any other regular human-being for that matter. And with a full-glass (and a little bit of plastic) construction, I wouldn't be using it on anything but pure-pc-clean-hands days.  yankodesign

Asus Aura, produced by Hungarian design company Egy Studio for Taiwanese vendor. Features of Asus Aura include - a sliding QWERTY keyboard that should make text entry much easier, 3,9 touchscreen covering the whole surface of the phone, 2 megapixel camera, microSD memory card slot, GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. All of this in a 6mm thick package.

Via: Engadget

Mobile phones are getting so thin, they're almost ignoring every rule of handheld ergonomics. Designer Heikki Juvonen decided to backtrack and redesign a futuristic mobile complete with all modern accoutrements but with realistic ergonomics in mind. The end result is a phone he believes is perfectly balanced in the hand placing the heavy components towards the bottom. The unique profile shape also helps it sit better in the hand providing multiple surface areas to grip. yankodesign

If there truly is design for the masses, this music creation tool definitely qualifies. Using friction-sensitive sensors on the glove's fingertips, users tap out a rhythm and beat while the recorder on the back of the hand sends it wirelessly to your ears and saves it all for later editing. There's nothing quite like using preexisting habits of behavior to define user interface issues; a really smart idea from Designer Petr Hampl. yankodesign

Are you tired, run down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Do you wish you had one device that acted as a flashlight, a candle, a rave machine, and could tell you the temperature of your bath water, all the while using everybodies favorite: LED lights? Well all the answers to your problems are in this little product. It's called the LED Bath Light.

While in the bath, LED Bath Light shows the temperature with color and with numbers listed around its ring. Flashlight Mode displays a bright solid light that's used as a simple direct light source. Color Mode makes this product your favorite techno companion as the light moves between a spectrum of different color tones. Candle Mode makes the light imitate a flickering candle. Adjustments in color and brightness can be made to any of these modes. yankodesign

There are companies working on "3D-ish" screens but the technology is ridiculously expensive. Why not take a more literal approach and layer two glass LCDs together. This creates a sense of depth when graphics are overlayed. The technology could be expanded to other devices too like interactive maps and slider mobile phones. Pipe dreams but I like the way Mac Funamizu thinks - boundless and limitless. yankodesign

The iBangle is Gopinath Prasana's vision of a future iPod where the devices have become darn close to becoming jewelry. If you factor in inflation and the cost of Apple products today - might as well call it jewelry because it'll cost as much. I digress, the iBangle is a thin piece of aluminum (of course) with a multi-touch track pad. To achieve the perfect fit, a cushion inside the ring inflates to keep itself taught against your wrist. yankodesign

As the flames get hotter you stumble in panic looking for your way out of the maze of hallways that seem so familiar yet alien at the moment. Smoke stings your eyes as you desperately search for any signs of escape. Follow the Halo, it will guide you.This may seem like some scene in a movie but in reality this could happen to any of us. In times of crisis, we lose our ability to think coherently and often the simplest task seems daunting.Halo was designed to aid people in times of crisis such as blackouts and fires directing them to the fastest possible exit route. By using LED lights, halos are cast upon the floor indicating the direction in which the exit is located. This is especially useful in smoke laden fires since people are advised to stick close to the floor. The light also pulsates in the direction of the exit providing a secondary indication upon which direction to head. yankodesign

Sony just barely updated the PSP but designer Tai Chiem is already thinking about the next iteration. His design calls for a flexible OLED display that can be conveniently rolled. An electric charge powering the display stiffens it while providing near bezeless prime real estate for gaming. Stereo speakers on either side double as a jog wheel and camera control. He also envisages Sony finally implementing two joysticks. Pipe dream or not, it's sexy and lives up to its name; it don't get any more portable than this. yankodesign

Introducing the Pomegranate Phone: A mobile phone, mp3 player, gps system, internet, global voice translator, camera, video player, movie projector, coffee brewer, razor and harmonica in one.Okay, before you get too excited and start scouring the net for release dates, tech specs and availability, it's not an actual product but an ad campaign ruse launched on October 1st. A well-produced false product introduction complete with hilarious video vignettes by Journeyman Films, tech specs, accessories and more, this micro site is a wily subterfuge to introduce you to Nova Scotia's Come To Life tourism campaign, positioning the province as the venue that has a lot to offer. Details

  If you're the active-in-the-Great-Outdoors type and you need to take your expensive feature packed iphone with you then the odds are seriously stacked against its surviving very long. Unless the iphone is already 100% waterproof - is yours? Have you ever lost a phone to water damage? If not, you've been really lucky... so far! Depending on who you talk to, something between 10% and 25% of all mobile phones end up ruined by water. Or unless you protect it inside a 100% waterproof Aquapac. If like a lot of people nowadays the main reason you take your phone with you in the first place is as a safety device - so you can call for help if you get into trouble - isn't it doubly important that you can trust it to work when you need it to? Check out some of the customer testimonials lower down this page and read some real-life examples of Aquapacs saving lives. Tuck your phone safely inside an Aquapac and you'll be able to take it and use it wherever you want to go and whatever you like to get up to. aquapac

As oil reaches recording break highs, more and more people are turning to bikes to get them around and of course nobody wants to leave behind creature comforts like music while driving. Problem is most of today's headphones are designed to filter out background noise. That's not very safe for a bicyclists since hearing what's coming is important. The Semicircle headphones are designed to fit in your ear without blocking background noise.The unit is wireless with a bluetooth module that connects to a standard headphone jack. Riding your bike, saving the Earth, saving money, and enjoying music while doing it shouldn't be a hazard. yankodesign

If you happen to believe that PCs can only be rectangular or square then you need to hear or rather witness this revolutionary creation by designer Apostol Tnokovski. His belief that PC arena is curved is well reflected via this 6-inch orb-shaped model. Touted as "the smallest PC ever made," the E-Ball oddball shaped PC features the pop-out laser mouse, a pico projector inside that illumines either the fence or a pane of paper for a display, and the laser keyboard is certainly a maladroit input device. Fix that, and identify a motherboard that befits the palm-sized baby, and Apostol might be onto somewhat here. elitechoice

The Nokia NX-T mobile multimedia computer, by Chris aka christexaport,  focused on media sharing and creation.It takes a bold stance as it debuts a new form factor, the transforming slider.The screen surface slides upward, then flips forward and atop the device, forming a T-shape.The screen surface it then rotate 90 degrees clockwise,exposing the camera on the left spine of the device. This places the widescreen in perfect landscape position, great as a camera or camcorder view finder. All description

Check out this funky laptop concept by designer Rodrigo Mercado for Nokia with a scroll type OLED. OLED's offer a bright and extremely colorful images with a wide viewing angle, low power and high contrast ratio. Viewing content on an OLED laptop will certainly become more fun.The voice activated laptop along with scrolling OLED and additional features like inbuilt Skye and several other popular cell phone functions make this tech gadget irresistible.Unlike LCD's, OLED's don't need back lights, and the fast response times make them ideal for viewing movies. Movie viewing on a laptop will never be the same again if this concept by Rodrigo comes to life. gadgettastic

Business cards have become less of a way to disseminate contact information and more about brand extension, so it makes no sense to spend so much money on them only to be thrown out after someone transcribes all the relevant information into an address book. The B-Scanner helps with both aspects. Just slide in any standard size card and an image capture is kept in memory. You sort and thumb thru each card via a jog dial and everything shows up beautifully on an OLED screen, sharp enough for small text. Still a concept but I know a lot of "old schoolers" still toting around business card holders. I think they would jump at something like this. However I do have 2 gripes. Many modern cards utilize texture in the design which a screen doesn't pick up. Many also use front/back layouts which this concept doesn't seem to address. yankodesign

Braille is still the standard when it comes to helping the visually impaired read. Unfortunately translating text into braille is costly. Voice Stick is an advance optical character recognition scanner designed to make all books available to the visually impaired.

As you pass the wand over a page, text in translated and read to you in a friendly voice. It can be used to convert any text from books, newspapers, contracts, mail, business cards, etc., into voice information. yankodesign

The Ply concept phone from Hideo Kanbara might just be a step towards bringing the office with us.

Ply's name is taken from the design of multilayered plywood, and each layer has its own very distinct function, ranging from a photo printer to game controller to mini digital projector.

 If you want this in your pocket, you'll probably have to wait a little while. CScout

The KDDI AU Design Project bunch over in Japan have stumped up with this latest concept phone for music cellphones of the future. And it blends two things we like: funky cellphone tech and Transformers. In fact Box To Play is less "robot in disguise," and more "hi-fi in disguise" because when it's a phone, it's a normal phone-keypad, camera and such-but when it transforms it's its own speaker system with a graphical visualizer around its faces. Gizmodo

Have you ever caught yourself whistling a made up tune and thought to yourself, "hey this could be a hit song!" Those moments of inspiration are fleeting but with the Compose concept, you can compose anywhere.

The pen acts as a mic you sing into. When docked into the digital paper tablet, your vocal harmonies are automatically transcribed into a score. For the old schooler, you can write directly on the display. It also contains libraries for an entire orchestra so once your composition is finished, just sit back and enjoy. yankodesign

Designer Chueh Lee over at Samsung China has designed what may be the worlds first camera for the blind, the "Touch Sight".

Touch Sight is a revolutionary digital camera designed for visually impaired people. Simple features make it easy to use, including a unique feature which records sound for three seconds after pressing the shutter button. The user can then use the sound as reference when reviewing and managing the photos. Touch Sight does not have an LCD but instead has a lightweight, flexible Braille display sheet which displays a 3D image by embossing the surface, allowing the user to touch their photo. The sound file and picture document combine to become a touchable photo that is saved in the device and can be uploaded to share with others-and downloaded to other Touch Sight cameras. More in details

I sit right under the air conditioner so believe me when I say I look dumbfounded when coworkers come over and turn the thing up. HELLO! I'm freezing over here. Free Wind is a smart ceiling mounted air conditioner with customizable air flows. Six fans operated by a smart system control wind zones and enable sectioned climate control. The cool remote uses touch-drag to anticipate and control your environment with a flick of a finger. Do want! yankodesign

The Motorola Sparrow was conceived to provide retail stores with a mobile point of sale device to solve increased service demands from consumers while decentralizing the check out point, i.e. pay for it and get out as fast as you can. It combines a scanner, point of sale (POS) system, RFID, communication and credit card reading capabilities into one mobile device. yankodesign

Why bother with one screen when you can have two for probably double the price? Designer Andy Kurovets presents his "Bend Mobile" concept. He thinks turning on a device and having it grow to nearly double its size will really be attractive to some people. He may be right but where is the proof? Oh right, he is also including a high capacity digital camera that also pops out to larger than expected proportions. All that and it's curved, for easy sliding in and out of your pants. yankodesign

Designer Kai Chen has invented a little what's hot/what's not meter that takes all the guess work out of getting into your bathtub. "Bath Safeguard" is a neat little electronic bath plug device that measures the temperature of the water and emits a color glow reflecting the current conditions of the water. When not in use, place it back on the magnetic induction recharger base. Made of waterproof silicon this item is sure to see production...and at least shut that little tramp up. yankodesign

Designing electronic gadgets specifically for women has always seemed like either an insult to their sensibilities or simple pink pandering. Either way, you run the risk of a ton of pink back stock or pissing them off. My advice, design gadgets for humans. Except when it is done to the high degree of slickness as this "Costume" Samsung 2.5″ Hard Drive by Joongoo Lee. Joongoo's design was inspired by a ladies make-up compact found at the bottom of most hand bags. Fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand (not that hard drives need to be in the palm of your hand) this design makes me want to explore my feminine side a bit further. yankodesign

  A Japanese institute announced that it confirmed a cell conversion efficiency of 17.7% by using a CIGS solar cell made with a flexible substrate. The efficiency of the solar cell, which was developed by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), is one of the highest in the world for a flexible CIGS solar cell. The production of a flexible CIGS solar cell has thus far faced an issue in the formation of a p-type semiconductor, according AIST. The carrier density of a p-type semiconductor in a CIGS solar cell is controlled by adding an alkali metal such as sodium. Specifically, sodium selenide or sodium fluoride is added to the semiconductor. But Na₂Se and NaF are unstable and only have a poor reproducibility, AIST said. This time, AIST developed a technology called "alkali-silicate glass thin layer (ASTL) method." According to this method, a silicate glass layer is first formed on the substrate, and the amount of alkali metal that passes through the backside electrode layer and diffuses into the light absorbing layer is controlled by adjusting the film formation conditions of the silicate glass layer. Details of the technology will be unveiled at the 4th Annual Symposium of Research Center for Photovoltaics, which runs from July 28-29, 2008, at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Tech On!

Straight out of Poland, Damian Kozlik has designed an interesting if not confusing timepiece dubbed "X-Watch". His attempt at a universal time piece able to be used by sighted and the blind is a step in the right direction. Not sure if X marks the right spot on this one but his rubber strap housing carries an array of LEDs behind graduated glass with extruded braille numbers that chris-cross to highlight and center the correct time. Seems like a lot of acrobatics just to tell time, but maybe life is truly in the journey and not the destination... even when counting the hours. If you ask for more details, our heads may explode. This was a hard one to figure out...let it go. yankodesign.com

 Researchers in Japan are developing a gadget that could enable people to hold a three-dimensional image of someone in the palm of their hand. They hope the gCubik, which is still at the prototype stage, will later be developed to move in real time and appear to speak. 
Grandparents could use the device -- which comes in a 10 centimetre (3.9 inches) cube -- to see a 3D image of their grandchild living far away, while business people could view a prototype product from afar and school teachers could use it in science classes, he said.
At the moment the device has a still image but efforts are underway to make it move in real time, Yoshida said.
The panels have many tiny lenses on liquid crystal displays. Unlike conventional 3D displays, which are viewed only from the front, the gCubik can be seen from three sides, giving different images from various angles. And unlike conventional 3D users will not need glasses to see the benefit.
Yoshida said the team hopes to put the technology to practical use within about three years by improving picture quality, getting rid of cords now attached to the cube and allowing viewing from all six sides of the box.
The team also wants to give vocal sounds to the 3D image in the future, making it appear as if the person in the cube is speaking. PhysOrg.com

Microsoft's new wireless Arc Mouse folds down to save space during transit, anyone that's used one of those mini-travel mouse devices will appreciate the full size body. It's questionable whether the space saving benefits are really necessary. It will retail for approx. $60 US later in the year. core77

It looks as though an Italian company named V12 Design might beat the OLPC's XO-2 laptop to the dual touchscreen punch with their dual LCD laptop called the Canova. According to Laptopmag, V12 developed its design four years ago and is currently working on a second generation version with a US manufacturer. The plan is to have the device on the market within 16 months. An interview with Valerio Cometti, the founder and managing director of V12 Design, confirmed that the upcoming version would support multitouch input and that a microphone would be built into the design for voice commands. Unfortunately, the image pictured above is the first gen version and no images of the current Canova design have been released. However, if they are on target with their prediction, we could have one in our hands by 2010.Gizmodo

The BLOC MP3 player may look like another stylized DAP but there's function to its Lego-like form. The core unit houses an OLED screen, 4-way directional toggle, and 50GB of memory. Should you need more, just snap on another memory module. Wanna share music with friends? No problem - just connect two BLOCS together and get your sync on. Oh and just for kicks, it'll record voice notes too.  yankodesign

Here is the YOM, your typical clock radio alarm with an atypical USB dock for your MP3 player. Instead of waking up to the radio or some blaring noise, why not plug your USB stick loaded with your favorite tunes? You can set which songs to wake up to via the touch sensitive controls.The speakers are also good enough to act as a stereo. The USB stick then becomes a joystick to toggle thru your playlists. Quite an innovative use for something that would otherwise just be a weird eyesore. yankodesign

At the Hokkaido environmental summit Sharp showcased an experimental 26 inch LCD TV which consumes around 30% less power than its peers. Coming to the specs it has a contrast ratio of 10000:1 and the display panel is just 20mm thick. Another innovation showcased by Sharp was a 26 inch solar panel which generates enough electricity to power the LCD TV. According to Sharp it is a perfect combo for the 1.6 billion people living below the poverty line in non-electrified areas and earning less than $2 a day.  newlaunches

Since Apple's iPhone was such a runaway success, the entire mobile phone industry has been playing catch-up with the pocket wonder. Jonathan Ive's (Apple's Chief of Design) minimal flat black screen design has instantly become a gadget icon and seems to be the inevitable future of mobile phone designs for everyone looking to grab market share. The problem with this design direction is the very limited aesthetic potential. Designer Jaren Goh has done a pretty decent job of putting his own spin on this movement with his "Basic Tab" mobile phone design. He has masterfully taken softer side out of the iPhone silhouette and gave it a more edgy, masculine appearance. His clever use of red translucent materials mixed with chrome harkens more retro future funk sci-fi creations like 2001 A Space Odysseys "HAL 9000″ and the Cylons on Battlestar Gallactica. yankodesign

This time around it was designer Peter Zsolt Koren. His "In-spiral" bangle bracelet/watch design looks acceptable on either on a wrist or a desktop. This rail system design adjust through every other line and locks magnetically. yankodesign

Designer Jason Kline discovered people don't use most of the buttons on today's TV remotes. The complex array of function only confuses some and alienates others. Most people also only watch 12 different channels so why are we still using these ever elongating sticks? Kline suggests another way called the Licentia.

The Licentia is straight forward, no-nonsensical remote control consisting of 2 discs which can be spun or compressed in a number of gesture patterns to interact with your TV. Once you get the hang of it, channel hopping will become easier and faster. None of that cumbersome numeric keypad stuff. yankodesign

Like a precision calliper tool, 08 Radio by Mikael Silvanto lets you precisely find the station you want by sliding the entire radio unit up and down the scale. It's a minor improvement and may irk some who prefer a dial but functions aside, it is nice to look at just as a stand-alone piece. Designer: Mikael Silvanto.yankodesign

If we're not absorbing information at an alarming and astounding rate 24/7, we start feeling a little hollow and frivolous, being surrounded with all this connected technology and what not. Thankfully Manabe Hiroyuki (pictured) at NTT DoCoMo took the time to develop and create the wearable headphone gaze detector; slightly less elegant than the traditional neural implant, with this system you could not only record the goings on of your days and "bookmark" important events, but also train the cameras to feed you information about your surroundings based on QR codes or possibly eventually object recognition; think of it as augmented aural reality triggered by giving a passing glance. Shine on, you crazy diamond - -we think you might just have Masahiko Tsukamoto beat this time.engadget

I have seen parsecs worth of concept computer designs during my visit here on Earth, but nothing like this "B-membrane" design by Korean designer Won-Seok Lee. He has taken the need for a bulky monitors right out of the equation and opted for beaming your YouTubing onto any surface you can point the omni-directional projector at. Some highlights of this Kubrick inspired mother ship computer include a membrane keyboard that appears when needed, integrated optical drive and when not used as a computer, the projector can beam ambient light effects on any surface you desire. yankodesign

On 29 June 2008 the design world will celebrate the first „World Industrial Design Day". The World Industrial Design Day has been initiated by the international umbrella association of industrial designers Icsid (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) with a view to offer as of now a fix date every year on which the merits of the profession of industrial designers and their influence on our living standards shall be recalled. The 29th June has been chosen because it is the birthday of the association: On 29 June 1957 the Icsid was founded officially in London. This day shall prompt many activities such as events, exhibitions, lectures or open days around the world. red-dot

Polaroid, the company that brought the world the iconic snap-and-print camera, is ready to introduce a new instant-photo product fit for the Digital Age. The PoGo, a mobile, inkless printer with a cute name, is small enough to fit in a pocket and prints wallet-size pictures that can be turned into stickers. The company--which continues its attempt to transition from an analog past to a digital future--hopes the Polaroid-on-the-go will revolutionize instant photo printing. Polaroid showed the little 8-ounce PoGo to CNET News.com on Tuesday. The product receives images via Bluetooth from a camera cell phone or through a USB cord from any digital camera. Then it uses inkless Zink technology to heat up the photo paper and bring out the colors embedded in the paper's dye crystals.Without ink heads, printers can be smaller and save money on ink. However, the Zink paper will still cost extra--an average of 35 cents per print. Future plans include larger prints that rely on the the same mobile, inkless concept.Jon Pollock, vice president and general manager of product planning and new technology at Polaroid, said the product is aimed at teens and young adults who want to print from their cell phone cameras and get instant access to their shots.The back side of the photos can be peeled, turning pictures into stickers--perfect for slapping on an unsuspecting victim's back, but ideally used for decorating or making collages.Although Polaroid sells digital cameras and other gadgets, it almost missed the digital wave. Pollock admitted the company suffered about five years ago when it still dealt with analog cameras, but it appears ready to climb back to the top of the photography world. By 2009, the classic instant Polaroid camera will finally fall by the wayside. Pollock said the PoGo is its replacement. Polaroid's PoGo will be available at Best Buy on July 6 and in most department stores by the fall. The printer retails for $149. cnet

The absence of a numeric keypad on a laptop is sometimes irritating. But thanks to Canon's new mouse it solves my problem and can also juggle with two other functions. The LT-100TKM has a clamshell like form factor, which when closed acts as a normal optical mouse at 1000dpi and makes numeric keypad and calculator function work after opening. It is selling in Japan for $32. toysgadget

The "Sens" phone by Takumi Yoshida is a great idea who's time has come. For the nearly blind, this phone features lighted sides that help convey different alert messages. Forgoing the use of the standard "blind man's dimple" keyboard arrangement found on most cell phones and designing a more tactile keys distinguishable not only for the blind but for anyone trying to interact with this device.yankodesign

The Pullight Dynamo looks to be nothing more than a flashlight powered by stored kinetic energy built up from pulling a string. Inside the dynamo is a 3 phase motor to deliver more power from very little kinetic energy. What's more, the dynamo can charge other devices like a mobile phone or iPod. It's splash proof and perfect for emergency situations. yankodesign

Glass surface inputting is the new hotness for almost every gadget maker today. From from the iPhone to Microsoft's Surface technology, flat is where it's at. Introducing the flattest full size QWERTY keyboard to date, "No-key Keyboard" by Kong Fanwen. Consisting of just a glass surface, camera and lighting, this alternative keyboard concept will use the latest motion capture technology to watch your fingers nervously select just the perfect smiley for your online bantering. yankodesign

Slice PC Concept is trying to answer the need of efficient and visually files storage on your computer. This PC Concept is trying to help you with the trouble of finding the files that are buried deep within folders, and you are no longer know how to indicate and locate the files when you need it. Slice PC Concept helps you physically interacting with the information, users can organize and place files accordingly. Each of the slices visually represent different folders seen in current operating software such as My Documents, My Music, My Videos, etc. The visual and haptic experience associated with slice emotionally connects the users to their information stored on the computer reassuring the safety and placement of their files.tuvie

On June 3, engineers at iXs Research Corporation unveiled a robotic teddy bear designed to work as a talking car navigation system. The prototype robot stands 30 centimeters (1 ft) tall and has 6 joints in its arms and neck, which it uses to make gestures while providing spoken directions. The robot bear is also equipped with functions to improve auto safety, such as an alcohol detection sensor embedded in its neck. If it smells booze, the robot confronts the driver, saying, "You haven't been drinking, have you?" Other sensors detect wreckless driving, so if the driver suddenly accelerates or slams on the brakes, the robot says, "Watch out!" As a bonus feature, the robot bear provides information about nearby landmarks when you stroke its head. The company hopes to make the robot commercially available next year. "We want to make it more compact," says CEO Fuminori Yamasaki, "and we'd like to offer a variety of shapes, including other characters and a plain mechanical version." Fujitsu has patented the idea of merging car navigation systems with dolls, but it has granted iXs Research Corporation permission to use the patent through a Kawasaki-area project encouraging major corporations to share intellectual property rights with small-to-medium-sized companies. Pink Tentacle

Now here is a perfect example of concept design bettering the world in previously unimagined ways. The deaf of the world are not just being deprived of music, a sweet whisper and a simple phone call. They are also lacking the ability to be fairly warned of impending danger from out of sight sources. Designers Kwang-seok Jeong, Min-hee Kim and Hyun-joong Kim really deserve a round of silent applause for this inspired design. "Vibering" is an ingenious way to help the deaf, by fashionably housing a sound detection and identification system to be worn as a pair of rings and a wristwatch. The rings are to be worn on both hands and are the ears that not only listen for sounds emanating from behind, they also determine distance, position and vibrate according to source. The wristwatch aspect, identifies the sound wave and present this info to the wearer in an easy to read display. The watch is programmed to listen for certain key phrases from humans like "Excuse Me..", your name being called and any number of car noises including the most important one, a car's horn. This device concept could not just be a major life enhancer for the deaf, it would most certainly save lives. yankodesign

We have all seen the nature shows where the baby deer wanders too far from its mom and gets pounced on by some hidden predator. Well aside from opposable thumbs, moms have a new way to differentiate themselves from our mammalian brethren. The "Link" Child Locator is a device that takes a page from the movie Alien, in that it allows for the tracking of your spawn as they hide in the clothing racks at your local Gap store. The product has 2 components, a bracelet worn by the child that contains a transmitter module that works at a range of up to 100′, and a watch-style bracelet worn by the parent that receives the child's signal and indicates its direction and distance on a small LCD display. Hide-and-seek will never be the same. yankodesign

 For its 75th anniversary, sporting goods purveyor Lacoste decided to peek another 75 years into the future, imagining what the face of tennis would look like in 2083.  It's covered by a sweet visor.

The envisioned persona of the future of tennis also has vibrant footwear with heel screens that read "Lacoste," and a fancy, collapsing racquet emlazoned with the Lacoste alligator logo.Check out Lacoste gallery for more shots of this futuristic tennis player.

Technology and scaled down computers are finding their ways into more and more ubiquitous items in our lives. From RFID clothing tags and eBooks (Kindle) to running monitors (Nike/iPod) and even cars that respond to your voice (Ford Sync). Why not get a daily does of information stimulation while you have your morning brew? That's what the designers of "The Cup" have in mind. They envision a cup that literally pours information in waves of holographic images for your daily consumption. Have a big creative meeting? Then spill your thoughts onto the conference table. Found a lot of racy pictures of your girlfriend on the internet? Then pour your finds all over her head and let her know your a just a little annoyed.Designer: Hyuh-Jin Lee & Hyeroung Choen. yankodesign

Momenta, the neck worn PC also captures the best and most exciting moments of your life. Ever thought, "Man I wish I had that on tape!" When everybody is laughing themselves to tears, Momenta has already captured the previous 5 minutes from its rolling buffer and continues to record until you tell it to stop. Triggered by increased heart rate, it captures those hilarious or exciting moments that are usually lost forever. Whether it's an exciting sports experience, a funny social scene, the scene of an accident, etc. you can capture it and share it.

Using the new light-weight Microsoft operating system, SLIM, this PC travels with you effortlessly. The projected touch-gesture interface allows you to interact with your software wherever you are without requiring interface peripherals but its wide-coverage 700 MHz WiFi wireless allows both connection to the web and to performance enhancing peripherals.NextGen

When the future goes to crap in the next 10 years or so, and anarchy rules as humanity falls into a deep, dark pit of despair, this alternate reality mask concept from Frog Design will be there to soften the blow. Invoking mental images of cowed sheep, Aldous Huxley's soma and even the Matrix, Frog Designs describes its FrogConcept mask as an escape for the doomed people of the future, complete with a "re-skinned" reality.
The visual design casts the mask as a lifestyle product of the future, as it plays with a glaring, exaggerated coolness of the wearer. It gives an almost robotic appearance, and suggests a diversion from what we define today as "normal" physical human interaction.

Within the mask, smells, sounds, even air quality would be imitated to create a full sensory experience. The facial expressions of those wearing the device would be detected and projected onto personal avatars visible to others also living behind the shield of the mask.gizmodo

Modern mobile phones come in many different form factors and sizes, but almost all of them have something in common - they fit in your pocket. Designer Tamer Koseli seems to disagree though. He has created a concept of what has to be the longest mobile phone ever. Not only it is long enough to impress your girlfriend, it's also very narrow (see it compared to the size of a SIM card below). The concept phone is called "Need".The phone has two displays - a simple OLED one which displays basic information, and a touchscreen that goes along all the length of the phone as demonstrated in the photos. You can lock and unlock the phone by sliding the first screen up and down, as shown in the first picture. The battery and connection information is only shown in the unlocked state for some reason.Mr. Tamer Koseli also seems to have strong opinion on the functions that a mobile phone should have. His concept doesn't include any camera, MP3 player or anything of sorts; everything is limited to communicational features only. Via: YankoDesign

It's either the perfect Father's Day gift or the perfect excuse for initiating divorce proceedings: ESPN has announced the coming of its branded Ultimate Remote, a $299 universal remote control designed to give the sports fan quicker and easier access to games, stats and excuses not to engage in "honeydew" chores on weekends. A list of cool-sounding features is there: Wi-Fi Internet access, text and email, quick setup that doesn't require a nearby PC, the ability to let sports fans surf games on TV, surf team standings and info on the web, the ESPN logo at the top of the device, and the Sportscenter jingle (dah-dah-DAT, dah-dah-DAT) every time you press a button. toysgadget

LCD panel manufacturers can make displays in all kinds of shapes from now on. Last week LG Display introduced round LCD displays and today NEC shows off a heart shaped LCD Display.
NEC LCD Technologies says that shape restrictions have eased significantly with their new LCD TFT technology.The heart LCD Display prototype is 40mm wide and 36mm high and has 146px/inch. Gadget designers around the world can start thinking about what kind fo LCD shapes they would like to have in their products, seems almost anything is possible.I4U

Large lily-shaped discs which harness solar power could soon be seen floating on the River Clyde. The concept, from Glasgow-based ZM Architecture, has been handed to the city council with the hope that a trial project could go-ahead. The proposal has already won the firm the International Design Awards (IDA) Land and Sea Competition. Judges were impressed by the idea that energy harnessed on a river could help reduce a city's carbon footprint. In the IDA project description, ZM Architecture said its project proposed to stimulate river activity and change by using the surface to harness solar power on a large scale. The energy created would then be transformed and exported to the national grid. The firm said the design of the lilypads was "inspired by nature" and they could be tethered to the river bed. Integrated motors would then rotate the discs to follow the sun for maximum output. ZM Architecture director, Peter Richardson, said: "We are delighted to be recognised for our commitment to providing alternative energy solutions and are excited about the potential of this idea in a range of contexts." The company hopes Glasgow City Council will be interested in developing a small pilot project in conjunction with the Science Centre. BBC

They are getting older by the second. That massive batch of the baby boomer generation adults is about to become the largest group of elderly the world will ever see in its history. Companies are scrambling to come out with products and services to appeal to this post world war 2 generation of increasingly confused citizens. The "EMC" (easy mobile calling) phone by designer Matthias Pinkert might just be what the doctor ordered. This phone features four keys for direct calling, one-touch calling, GPS tracking, for when grandma is too loopy to tell where she is, a built in speaker phone and even comes with a laniard to wrap around(choke) grandma's neck to avoid misplacing it in the refrigerator, next to the pickles. yankodesign

Technologies are being developed right now that will one day replace the paper news dynamic completely. One such concept device is called the Ori-Ori Moshi-Moshi and it is basically origami. Some hope that it will offer the ultimate fold-up multi-media solution.

It was developed by Antenna Design, and they are calling it the "super gadget for the year 2014." The concept device would have a flexible OLED screen with utilities for gaming, phone, and video viewing. As flexible displays get better, this will be the norm in no time.Via slipperybrick

LG Display have just successfully made the "world's largest 6-inch elliptical and 1.4-inch circular-shaped LCDs," featuring 262,000 colors and a near 160-degree viewing angle. The technology isn't ripe enough to be shipped with any type of electronics product yet, but possible applications could be for digital photo frames and, as you see here, old-fashioned wrist watches.Unwiredview

   Microsoft is launching its new web cameras the VX-5000 and VX500 LifeCams. Both cameras feature a VGA resolution and are compatible with Windows Live Messenger. Microsoft is also releasing a headset called the LifeChat LX-2000  getting ready for video conferences.The VX-5000 will be available in June for $49.95 and the VX-500 and LX-2000 will hit shelves this month for $16.95 and $29.95.gadgettastic

Those lovable Finns at Nokia really want you to get in touch with our emotions and believe that your mobile phone is a great start to get you there. They are introducing a design exhibit showcasing the future of mobile phones at this year's New York Design Week. Design firm Provoke worked with Nokia to make a conceptual study showing where mobile phone trends are heading in 4 years. One of  three concepts is being called  "Feel".

Touching is a very intense and personal form of communication. People share their deepest feelings by touching. Feel is a phoneset concept for couples. Tactile sharing trough simulated touch. Real physical communication - what if you could touch your loved one via your mobile phone?In the future, the user interface will eventually step out of the display. Feel has a specialized user interface and touch simulation to enable deep communication.Yanko

Designer Roman Tubl wasn't concerned with integrating the latest and greatest in his EGG mobile phone concept. He just wanted something functional and easy to use with some eye candy.

The soft rounded body is surrounded by an illuminated red strip. The surface of the phone consists of a flexi true color display for tactile touchscreen feedback. You've also got your standard data ports like bluetooth, USB, and Wifi in addition to a 3.2 megapixel camera and a snazzy amount of memory - up to 4 GB. Yanko

NTT has begun selling a device that transmits data across the surface of the human body and lets users communicate with electronic devices simply by touching them, the company announced on April 23. The new product, called "Firmo," consists of a card-sized transmitter carried in the user's pocket. The card converts stored data into a weak AC electric field that extends across the body, and when the user touches a device or object embedded with a compatible receiver, the electric field is converted back into a data signal that can be read by the device. For now, Firmo transfers data at 230kbps, but NTT is reportedly working on a low-cost 10Mbps version that can handle audio/video data transfers. Firmo is based on NTT's RedTacton human area network (HAN) technology, which is designed to allow convenient human-machine data exchange through natural physical contact - even through clothing, gloves and shoes. NTT initially hopes this human area network technology will appeal to organizations looking to boost convenience and security in the office. Obvious applications include secure entrances and keyless cabinets that recognize employees when they touch the door handle (thus bypassing the need for card-swipers and keys), or secure printers that operate only when you touch them.

For now, a set of 5 card transmitters and 1 receiver goes for around 800,000 yen ($8,000), but NTT expects the price to come down when mass production begins.Pink Tentacle

  Russia's Ministry of Industry and Power and Expert Club in the field of industry and power within the scope of design development concept implementation in Russia till 2008 start work on performance of a number of industrial design master classes oriented to assistance in advanced training of enterprise management in the field of industrial design integration into manufacture and administration processes.

The first master class will take place on May 15, 2008 within the scope of the First International Special Exhibition of Helicopter Industry «HeliRussia 2008» in the first show-room of the MVK "Crocus Expo" from 1 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. in the conference hall #1. The master class subject intended for aircraft building companies' management and designers will be "Aircraft design".

Nowadays many scientists try to find a way to return vision to blind people. If they succeed, it will be one of the greatest achievements. Meanwhile PC producers, taking into consideration the fact that blind people can not use modern technologies, decided to create something that will improve and diversify their everyday life. Given gadget named Siafu represents a personal computer designed to give people with vision loss a more intuitive computer experience.The main technology used in Siafu - Magneclay - represents an oil based synthetic agent that possesses limitless morphing capabilities. It has a loose molecular structure but can be infinitely rearranged when acted upon by electrical and magnetic charges. As long as the charges acting upon it remain stable, the magneclay will hold its structural rigidity, allowing it to be touched without deformation.gadgets-reviews

There may be plenty of nerdy spy gadgets around that allow the socially challenged to eavesdrop on their nearest and dearest, but few are as elegant as the latest Japanese video pen from Digital Cowboy.The 30g pen does its thing through a 1mm hole just above the pocket clip and a microphone secreted just beneath it. A generous 2GB of onboard memory should be enough for several hours of 352 x 288-pixel 15fps video compressed in the AVI format.Power comes courtesy of a lithium-ion battery that charges by USB, giving two hours of runtime from a similar period attached to a PC. Naturally, the DVR-BP operates as a mass-storage device when connected and - best of all - it even works as a real pen.TechRadar

Papyrus is an inexpensive, student oriented e-reader specially designed with collaboration in mind. It is produced by Kaleidoscope, a product development consultancy.Papyrus gives teachers the ability to respond to student issues as soon as they appear in a post and gives the chance to create a game plan for the next class meeting versus going into the situation blind, wasting precious class time trying to figure out where to pick up from the last assignment. Most importantly, Papyrus provides collaboration and communication without the distractions of current technology like laptops.the unit is far less expensive at around $100.
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This time around he created the Mp3 Pocket Player, designed to be comfortably used while worn in the trouser pocket. Due to the curved shape all relevant controls and the display are visible, no matter if the user is sitting or walking. Designer Matthias Lange. yankodesign

Electrolux has chosen eight finalists to compete for first place in Electrolux Design Lab 07, the fifth edition of this annual global competition. Hundreds of design students from around the world entered this year's competition and were challenged to present their ideas on for eco-friendly and sustainable household appliances and solutions for 2020. 

One of the finalists was Nature Wind by Bae Won-Ho. Nature Wind is a solar-powered air cleaner mounted to a window that uses a series of filters to refresh and sanitize household air.  yankodesign

We often think of a universal remote to be a device that controls any and everything. The Mulit-Chalk one-ups that axiom by controlling everywhere. Huh, what?!? It's a soft electronic device designed to slip on anything with a button. It can be designed to compliment your outfit and style. With a little simple programming, just about anything can be controlled from it by turning the disk in various directions. Just be smart and don't use it during a big football game. The guy with the colorful button is always the target.yankodesign

On April 17st 2008 the first  conference " Industrial design" was held in Moscow at the World trade centre. Design director of Tancher Vasily Vinogradov reported once bringing out the corner stones of contract design in Russia.

The main purpose of the conference was to establish informational and business ties between contract designers and their potential customers (electronics manufacturers, governmental structures, etc).

Look at this cool concept from designer Smith Newman, the Pebble MP3 Player.The Pebble MP3 player is a designed to hang around your neck like a pendant, it is designed to represent a fusion of nature and technology and features a dome faced interface in the middle.The interface is used for navigation, it also features a tilt sensor so that the user interface is always easly accessible, similar to that of the iPhone.The headphones are designed to roll up into the case, making them easy to store.gadgettastic

Sick of having to hold your head up while you watch TV in bed or lying down? Well the NapTv can help you. Designed by Sung-kyu Nam, its an extraordinary fusion of TV and a chair. Slide under it to watch what's on the screen and when your done, turn it over and sit on it. gadgettastic

April 9, 2008 The US$38 billion video gaming market thrives due to innovative input devices and one of the most interesting new additions is the Zeemote JS1 - a wireless controller that enables what the developers claim is near-console game play on mobile phones. Created by the team that developed the first force feedback joystick for PC gaming, the Zeemote controller fell into the hands of Dave Weinstein at CTIA and Dave reports the new phone peripheral is responsive, ergonomic and functional and just might help us past trying to game comfortably on a phone using controls designed for some other purpose.Measuring 95 x 35 x 20 mm (3.7 x 1.4 x 0.8 inches) and weighing only 47g (1.7 ounces) including batteries, the Zeemote JS1 fits in the palm of the hand and is very comfortable. With a thumbstick and four assignable trigger buttons, the JS1 controller offers real analog control enabling users to truly engage with mobile games.The company is already in discussions with a number of operators and manufacturers regarding bundling the controller with games and handsets."Developers and publishers such as Eidos, Finblade, Fishlabs and SEGA have already adapted popular games such as Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Helistrike 3D and Sonic The Hedgehog to use the new technology. Finblade has even created Fireworks, the first 2-player game specifically designed for use with Zeemote JS1 controllers. Gizmag

Can it be? Why... why yes, a watch with integrated cellphone we might (might!) actually wear. The Van Der Led WM2 is a quad-band GSM watch with itty bitty 1.3-inch, 260k color touchscreen display, stereo Bluetooth, up to 240-hours of standby or 300-minutes talk, and 1GB of storage for a few of your MP3 or MP4 files. Better yet, from a distance, those uber geeky keys on the numeric pad look just like the glittering wrist studs capable of mesmerizing Death Metal, she-groupies backstage. Yours for €300 (about $471 US Rubles) starting Monday. Actual product pressed to flesh in the gallery below. Engadget

I've always found effort to be pretty unbecoming. I mean, working hard at something totally increases the worry lines in your face, making you look all old and ugly. No thanks! I'm staying pretty for life! That's why I'm definitely buying a pair of these Cyber MC brainwashing goggles. It's not really clear how the Orange Dream software helps you do things like lose weight, quit smoking or meditate, but the general assumption is that it flashes images in your face Clockwork-Orange style to reprogram your brain to associating delicious, flavorful cigarettes with something unappealing like third degree burns or mining accidents.I don't care how it works, I just want to be able to sit sedentarily and not have to put any uglifying stress on my sprightly young body.Gizmodo

Mark Law designed the ori Remote with orientations, lights, and an on-screen interface in mind, rather than your run-of-the mill french bread-shaped blobject with numbered buttons. Functions such as channel and volume are accessed as the user rotates ori, much like a compass. Various touching and sliding motions on the touch pad trigger the actions. Think Kaoss pad for boob-tubing.core77

NTT Communications announced today that it is to conduct a pilot test of its new Mobile Fragrance Communication (Kaori Tsushin Mobile) service. The service is a mobile version of an existing system that NTT has for enjoying downloaded audiovisual content together with specific fragrances that are pre-loaded onto a dedicated device. The smell-as-you-go service was first launched for home use in 2005, and, according to NTT, it is now used by companies and individuals to "enhance indoor environments with pleasing fragrances." The company says that its new mobile version offers the "convenience of using mobile communication to download Fragrance Playlists, or files of recipes for specific fragrances together with visual (GIF animation) and audio (MIDI) content."Fragrance Playlists can be downloaded from the "i-mode" mobile website of sister company NTT DoCoMo. Using the phone's infrared port, the fragrance data is transferred to a device that has been loaded with a cartridge of essences, or base fragrances. The device, a smaller, lighter and more stylish version of the previous model, then mixes the specific fragrances and emits them as the user enjoys the A/V content played back on their phone. The Fragrance Playlists also can be edited as well as shared with others who subscribe to the service.BWCS , NTT

April 7, 2008 Toshiba Imaging has launched the world's smallest HD camera head, measuring just 1.6 inches and weighing only 2.3 oz. It is envisaged that the mini IK-HD1 will be used for scientific imaging and diagnostics, specialty broadcasting, homeland security, and industrial video and inspection applications. The ultra-compact control unit makes the IK-HD1 ideal for broadcasting and other imaging tasks where space is limited as it is no much bigger than an ice cube. The camera has 1080i output and Toshiba's HD 3CCD prism block technology helps deliver sharp, clear, true color imagery. High-definition 1920 (H) x 1080 (V) resolution at 30 frames per second means the camera is an attractive option for reality TV and sports broadcasters and it has already been used for filming on New American Gladiators. The camera comes standard with a C-mount lens flange and RS232C serial interface and multiple outputs for HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M), analog RGB, or Y/Pb/Pr. Accessories for the HDTV camera system includes a 4mm or 15mm lens and camera cables in 3-, 6-, 10- or 30-meter lengths. Gizmag

We can just barely remember when remote controls were still attached to the TV by a wire. But aside from the wireless innovation, the old 'mote has remained pretty boring, despite being a central part of our lives. Well now, Joris van Gelder's B&O Remote is finally taking the next leap. Not only is it wireless, but it's touchless, responding mostly to simple hand gestures. The idea was to design a remote for sticky-fingered kitchen use, but we could be looking at the future of channel surfing in any room. See how it works in videos.complex

 Today I have a treat for you - a 3D mouse.  While a regular mouse only has X and Y axes, a 3D mouse adds a Z.  This is great for CAD designers and as it turns out, it helps Second Life players navigate their 3D world with ease.  3D Connexion is making their Space Navigator and the rest of their respectable 3-D mouse range Second Life compatible.uberreview

The CLEF system consists of a flexible LCD touch screen with a built-in stand and a wireless foot pedal. Use the pedal to turn digital sheet music or just touch the screen. It also throws in some computer functions by allowing on the fly scoring, note taking, and collaborative writing. When you need a real computer, a keyboard slides out from underneath the screen and use the foot pedal as a stereo to enjoy the music you just played.yankodesign

Flat-panel computer displays could be manufactured quickly and cheaply using novel inkjet printing equipment demonstrated by Japanese scientists. The technique has already been used to produce the delicate wiring and tiny components needed for flexible screens. The new inkjet head is able to produce drops 1,000 times smaller than standard printers, according to the researchers. Writing in the journal PNAS, the team say the technique also improves the performance of printed circuits. "The present work demonstrates the feasibility of employing inkjet technology... for electronic device applications," the University of Tokyo team write in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.BBC News

University of Maryland physicists have shown that in graphene the intrinsic limit to the mobility, a measure of how well a material conducts electricity, is higher than any other known material at room temperature. Graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of graphite, is a new material which combines aspects of semiconductors and metals. In graphene, the vibrating atoms at room temperature produce a resistivity of about 1.0 microOhm-cm (resistivity is a specific measure of resistance; the resistance of a piece material is its resistivity times its length and divided by its cross-sectional area). This is about 35 percent less than the resistivity of copper, the lowest resistivity material known at room temperature.

"We believe that this work points out the importance of these extrinsic effects, and creates a roadmap for finding better substrates for future graphene devices in order to reduce the effects of charged impurity scattering and remote interfacial phonon scattering."physics professor  Fuhrer said. newsdesk

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a smart video goggle system that records everything the wearer looks at, recognizes and assigns names to objects that appear in the video, and creates an easily searchable database of the recorded footage. Designed to function as a high-tech memory aid, these "Cyber Goggles" promise to make the act of losing your keys a thing of the past, according to head researcher professor Tatsuya Harada.Cyber Goggles are equipped with a compact camera that feeds video to a computer worn on the user's back. The computer records the footage and relies on ultrahigh-speed image recognition processing software to analyze, name and file the objects that appear in the video. Later, when the user types in a keyword to search for a particular item, the corresponding video plays on a tiny LCD screen attached to the right-side lens, helping the user remember the location of the item in question. In a demonstration at the University of Tokyo last week, 60 everyday items - including a potted begonia, CD, hammer and cellphone - were programmed into the Cyber Goggle memory. As the demonstrator walked around the room viewing and recording the various objects, the names of the items appeared on the goggle screen. The demonstrator was then able to do a search for the various items and retrieve the corresponding video.In addition to functioning as a memory aid for the elderly, Cyber Goggles have a number of other potential uses, says professor Harada. For example, the image recognition processing technology can be used to sift through enormous amounts of video in search of specific images. It might also help in the development of robots with human-like abilities, he says.Pink Tentacle

A nimble, four-legged robot is so surefooted it can recover its balance even after being given a hefty kick. The machine, which moves like a cross between a goat and a pantomime horse, is being developed as a robotic pack mule for the US military.BigDog is described by its developers Boston Dynamics as "the most advanced quadruped robot on Earth". The company have released a new video of the robot negotiating steep slopes, crossing rocky ground and dealing with the sharp kick. View the impressive clip here ."Internal force sensors detect the ground variations and compensate for them," says company president and project manager Marc Raibert. "And BigDog's active balance allows it to maintain stability when we disturb it." This active balance is maintained by four legs, each with three joints powered by actuators and a fourth "springy" joint. All the joints are controlled by an onboard PC processor.The project is sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who want the robotic pack mule to assist soldiers in terrain too tough for vehicles. Ground-based soldiers often need to carry 40 kilograms of equipment.Raibert says the latest version of BigDog can handle slopes of 35° - a steeper gradient than one in two. The hydraulics are driven by a two-stroke single-cylinder petrol engine, and it can carry over 40 kg, about 30% of its bodyweight. The robot can follow a simple path on its own, or can be remotely controlled.newscientist

HTC has long been partial to a smartphone slider form factor.It's slide-out QWERTY keyboard Windows Mobile smartphones like HTC S730 or HTC TyTN II are among the most popular in a category.

How could you make HTC S730 smaller, save on parts by having a single text/number input device and  have it as easy to use for different applications in both landscape and portrait modes?

Make the numeric keypad a part of the QWERTY keyboard plate. Have the phone display covering most of QWERTY keyboard, except for the numeric keypad part, in a closed mode.

To open into a text/mesaging QWERTY landscape mode, just slide the screen diagonally across the keyboard plate and fix the display in the top/middle of it.

You still have all the benefits of the S730 smartphone, the same display size, but in a smaller package.

Of course, no such HTC handset exist yet, as far as I know. The drawings above are our Photoshop renderings.

However, they are not just my imagination, and are based on a recent patent filing by HTC, called "Handheld electronic device" , describing just such a handset. unwiredview

Fetishes are an interesting phenomenon, you never know when something might peak your curiosity and strike you in a gratifying way. Rarely in life does an object instantly make you raise an eyebrow and re-imagine what turns you on, sexually or any other way.  By incorporating a digital watch into a pair of handcuffs, he might be mockingly commenting on humanities futile desires to control the one thing in life we have no control over. The persistence of time is a cruel mistress and so is this watch.yankodesign

If you commit the cardinal sin of eating at your desk (who hasn't?), then this just might be the mouse for you. Thanko took a standard USB mouse and equipped it with a tiny vacuum cleaner, hence the name, Cleaner Mouse. It won't help you clean your office, but it will get those crumbs off your desk before they end up in your keyboard or on the floor. Via: Gizmodo

Designer Sunman Kwon's "Mooon+" cellphone makes the most sense of any concept I have seen in a long time. Simply put, the mouthpiece detaches to become a bluetooth headset. Plus, both the headset and the phone look fantastic. This is definitely something I would like to see integrated into a real world product. A near ideal solution. Additional pics after the break.gizmodo.com

Designer Hung Chih Wang thinks the inkjet printer market has room for an ultra-mobile concept: his "Trak" design is a mini printer that snaps onto the lid of your laptop. Handy for hardcopies on-the-go, it's small enough to be USB powered and even has a detachable print head for easy travel storage. There's no mention of how you keep the ink from spilling in your bag, but that should please those dollar-craving ink manufacturers, eh?gizmodo

  As well as showing high-tech cellphones at MWC 2008, Nokia also demoed their green tech concept, the "Remade." The clamshell phone has an outer shell made from recycled aluminum cans, a chassis made of plastic from drink bottles and rubber parts made from old car tires. Even its screen and circuit board use techniques like printed electronics to minimize environmental impact. Vincent from Phonemag got some hands-on time and shot a video-find it below the gallery.Gizmodo

 Designer Nuno Teixeira believes every computer should be two faced and with more curves.Taking a cue from the 1950's CINERAMA wrap-around movie theatre screens, this iMac iMock-up features a giant curved screen(for better orientation to the natural curvature of the human eye) and a second built in LCD screen on the back(useful for students and graphic designer.) While shooting for the stars, Nuno also included two webcams(front and back). yankodesign

Some technology concepts just make sense the second you see them. This concept tablet ultra-connected device by Tokyo resident Mac Funamizu, has me wishing for tomorrow today. Though he has not named it as of yet, I will drink the potion and call it "The Looking Glass." The idea is simple, by incorporating a camera/scanner, GPS and internet connectivity, the world is literally at your finger tips. Just frame anything you desire behind the glass window, from a building, to a car or piece of art and the image will be analyzed and searched on any number of sites like wikipedia, google or google earth. Want to know about a word in a book or magazine? Simply frame it up and touch the word. Instant access to any number of learning aids eg. dictionary, thesaurus or reference databases will have you clued in in seconds.
Check out how the designer uses it to identify a particular floor of a building by simply clicking on it. Frame up a restaurant and get its menu or make a reservation... seriously folks, this idea has so many legs it needs to be fast tracked asap.Via yankodesign

Jim Mielke's wireless blood-fueled display is a true merging of technology and body art. At the recent Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the engineer demonstrated a subcutaneously implanted touch-screen that operates as a cell phone display, with the potential for 3G video calls that are visible just underneath the skin. The basis of the 2x4-inch "Digital Tattoo Interface" is a Bluetooth device made of thin, flexible silicon and silicone. It´s inserted through a small incision as a tightly rolled tube, and then it unfurls beneath the skin to align between skin and muscle. Through the same incision, two small tubes on the device are attached to an artery and a vein to allow the blood to flow to a coin-sized blood fuel cell that converts glucose and oxygen to electricity. After blood flows in from the artery to the fuel cell, it flows out again through the vein.
On both the top and bottom surfaces of the display is a matching matrix of field-producing pixels. The top surface also enables touch-screen control through the skin. Instead of ink, the display uses tiny microscopic spheres, somewhat similar to tattoo ink. A field-sensitive material in the spheres changes their color from clear to black, aligned with the matrix fields.
The tattoo display communicates wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices - both in the outside world and within the same body. Although the device is always on (as long as your blood´s flowing), the display can be turned off and on by pushing a small dot on the skin. When the phone rings, for example, an individual turns the display on, and "the tattoo comes to life as a digital video of the caller," Mielke explains. When the call ends, the tattoo disappears.
The tattoo display is still just a concept, with no word on plans for commercialization. physorg

New York, US and Espoo, Finland - Morph, a joint nanotechnology concept, developed by Nokia Research Center (NRC) and the University of Cambridge (UK) - was launched today alongside the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition, on view from February 24 to May 12, 2008, at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Morph features in both the exhibition catalog and on MoMA's official website.Morph is a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes.  It demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces. Nokia

Today I have a treat for you. A concept fashion phone called Edge. It was design by Cris Owens an is dubbed as:"A cell phone that uses touch and light technology for a fashion oriented design".The glass keypad slides out whenever needed. It houses a LED light source for keypad edge and character illumination. Be sure to visit designers site, there's more pictures illustrating the whole design process, and even some cool flash movies showing how the phone works.Via Unwired view

  TANCHER DESIGN AWARD 2008 organizational committee announces an additional nomination " The Prize of public sympathies " which will be received by contest's finalists with the maximum amount of positive votes during online voting at www.designelectronics.org.

The results will be published right after March, 15th along with the names of official contest prize-winners.

 Before that neither jury nor anyone else on the internet will see the online voting results.