Archive for April 15th, 2008
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Right when we thought that, the electric vehicle is the answer to cutting our rising fuel costs some new research finds the ultimate flaw in this new power source. There is no doubt that plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) result in good fuel economy figures - GM is currently touting its PHEV-to be, the Volt, as getting 150MPG over all. |
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However, a study published by Carnegie Mellon University and the Green Car Congress (GGC) suggests that if we do not make our power generation system less carbon intensive, PHEVs could have little benefit over regular hybrids (HEVs). Instead, they achieve these high numbers by supplementing the power produced by their gasoline engines with power taken from the grid. This has caused controversy lately, as hybrid-opponents often claim that battery production and the use of energy from the grid actually makes these cars bigger GHG polluters. If you look at this chart posted by GCC, you can see that both HEVs and PHEVs have a clear advantage over conventional cars, even when battery production is factored in. vehicles all drew power from the grid, making the grid more efficient would both improve standard energy usage as well as make motor vehicles less polluting.
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Popularity: 15%
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Hitachi’s Wooo UT Series of HDTVs consist of half a dozen LCD models and three plasma displays to cater for every budget and viewer requirement. All the LCD TVs measure a mere 3.5cm in thickness and boast a 250GB internal hard drive, an iV port for iVDR HDD cartridges, DLNA compatibility, and full HD support. |
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You will be able to choose from 32″, 37″ and 42″ models to suit your budget and taste. As for the Wooo XV series, it will come in similar sizes but do not have an internal HDD. Hitachi’s crown jewels in this range, the Wooo 02 Series plasma displays will be available in 42″ and 50″ models, where the latter has an internal 250GB hard drive. No idea on the individual pricing though.
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Popularity: 15%
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Guess there is still some mileage left in the Transformers movie where merchandise is concerned, especially with this All Spark USB hub. It is definitely larger than your average USB hubs that tend to minimize the amount of desk clutter, but it ought to go down well with the rest of your Transformers figures on your table. |
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It will set you back by £18 and boasts the unique capability of saying out Transformers-related phrases such as “We must protect the All Spark!” or “Bah weep granah weep ninnibon!” whenever you plug in a USB device.
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Popularity: 10%
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Now the Philips DCP951 is truly a wonder - it not only plays DVDs, but also does DVD +/-R and DVD +/-RW, VCD, DivX, and MPEG4 movies as well. Heck, it even doubles up as an iPod touch dock, enabling you to view videos on it without resorting to the touch’s relatively tiny display, while charging up the iPod simultaneously. |
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In addition, an SD/MMC memory card slot makes it a snap to view short movies and digital photos stored on that media as well. The 9″ LCD display surely makes this a pretty decent companion to have if you’re on a long haul flight. The Philips DCP951 retails for $199 each - just don’t go purchase bootleg copies of movies whenever you’re traveling lest you get caught!
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Popularity: 21%
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If you have a whole lot of extra time on your hands and is passionate about recycling objects into works of art, then this Speaker Media Cabinet ought to be your cup of tea. |
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It can be used to store virtually anything you like (as long as it fits), but chances are entertainment media such as DVDs and console games would be a better choice. All you need is a pair of junked sizable speakers, several chopping devices, the necessary array of nuts and bolts, plenty of time and passion and you’re good to go.
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Popularity: 8%
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NEC will roll out the AtermWR1200H wireless LAN router in Japan that comes with a built-in antenna, measuring a mere 27mm x 85mm x 110mm that makes it 60% smaller compared to its predecessor, which is pretty darn small no matter how you look at it. Unfortunately, it goes to support only 802.11b/g and nothing more than that - which is a pity since newer products these days already feature support for the draft-N standard. No idea on how much it costs though. |
Popularity: 7%
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LG’s latest portable media player, the T80 isn’t exactly groundbreaking in design, and it does let one wonder whether the iPod touch look was a deliberate move or an accident. Features include :- |
The LG T80 comes with a battery life of approximately 2 hours for TV viewing and 5.5 hours for video, featuring a recommended retail price of 299 Euros. |
Popularity: 13%
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Now this is definitely a special projector by all accounts, as it is capable of projecting content loaded onto a microSD memory card, hence its relatively compact size. While you won’t get full HD images plastered on your wall, at least you don’t have to break a shoulder carrying it around. |
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If you don’t have any media on your microSD card, fret not. It is capable of accepting a standard RCA input from a game console, DVD player or an equivalent. Powered by a quartet of AA batteries, the microSD Memory Card Projector retails for $197 each and is capable of projecting images up to 40″ x 33″. No idea why the memory card shown here looks more like a regular SD card though.
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Popularity: 9%
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LocaModa and Touch Tunes have teamed up to hook up to 30,000 jukeboxes to social networks, allowing them to be controlled remotely via cell phones. This new partnership allows patrons to let their handsets interact with flat panel screens driven by the TouchTunes jukebox’s media server. |
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Social networks will display all interactions as data feeds, where online users can also view and participate in the activity at their favorite locations. Just how much more intertwined does our lives have to be with social networks?
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Popularity: 8%
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Hmm, looks as though 3 months down the road and the Supertooth 3 has not yet been released, despite a targeted March 2008 release date and a recommended retail price of $119. The Supertooth 3 was paraded again by BlueAnt at CTIA Wireless, so here are the dimensions which we missed out on earlier this year. |
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The Supertooth 3 measures 18mm x 60mm x 122mm and comes with an estimated 15 hour talk time, although I would take that figure with a pinch of salt. Still, it sounds like a pretty capable device to have in any car.
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Popularity: 8%
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