HDI CEO admits that smaller laser 3D HDTVs could become a reality, 103-incher coming in June
We’ve been waiting on Woz’s favorite 3D display ever to ship for quite some time, and as of now, no delays have been seen. According to a new interview with HDI CEO Ingemar Jansson, the June ship date for its 103-inch, laser-based monster is still on track, with a $10,000 price tag being placed on it when ordered “in volume.” Frankly, there’s not much here that we haven’t already heard about the new face of 1080p 3D in the home; what is new, however, is the mention that smaller versions could very well be on the horizon. Regardless of whether you’re man or woman enough to admit it, a 103-inch set is far too large for the vast majority of homes, so a 46-inch iteration — which was mentioned specifically in the dialog — could be a perfect alternative. There was no time table or estimated price given for the smaller version(s), but you can bet we’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for more. Oh, and if you don’t think an HDTV upstart can give Sony, Sharp and Samsung a run for their money, there’s a “Mr. Vizio” in the back room that would like to have a word with you.
HDI CEO admits that smaller laser 3D HDTVs could become a reality, 103-incher coming in June originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Microvision’s Show WX laser pico projector available to buy today, will ship March 24
Okay, so maybe Microvision is a little late with the release of its pocketable Show WX pico projector, but we’d rather have a truly useful projector late than a useless one on time. This laser-based beaut will offer you infinite focus — something we can vouch for having tried out the same technology integrated in a rifle — which essentially means that no matter how much you twist or jerk the projector around, or how distant your projected surface is, the picture will remain in focus. An 848 x 480 resolution image can be scaled from less than six inches all the way up to 200, though you’re most likely to stick with anything up to 30 in order to make the most of the 10 lumens brightness on offer. The contrast ratio is rated as being greater than 5,000:1 while the battery will last you up to two hours on a charge. The wallet damage is $549 for the standard edition, but the limited edition teased above jumps all the way to $999, for which you’ll get a personalized splash screen, LE insignia, a certificate of authenticity, a VGA dock and some other trinkets. Come on, it has lasers inside, it was never gonna be cheap!
Microvision’s Show WX laser pico projector available to buy today, will ship March 24 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires
You’ve probably seen sketches like the one above promising you complete cable independence since what, 1996? We’re not about to tell you this is the one technology that finally delivers on that utopian dream, but it’s surely one of the zanier attempts at it. By converting “ultra fast laser pulses” into radio frequency waves, the researchers claim they’ve overcome a significant hurdle to making wireless communications ubiquitous — signal interference. The rapid (each laser burst lasts a mere 100 femtoseconds), pulsing nature of their approach purportedly makes their signal extremely robust, while intended operation at around 60GHz means their microring transmitters (diagram after the break) will be able to operate within spectrum space that does not require a license — neither from the FCC nor internationally. Applications for the microrings would include things like HDTV broadcasts and piping data into vehicles, although we won’t be seeing anything happening on the commercial front for at least another five years. Typical. If you just can’t wait that long, a few Japanese companies you may have heard of are preparing their own 60GHz wireless devices for the second half of this year.
Continue reading Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires
Microring transmissions are sure to resonate with people who hate wires originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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US Air Force chief: Boeing laser “not operationally viable” as far as you know
Seeing a Boeing 747 destroy a liquid-fueled ballistic missile with a megawatt-class laser is undoubtedly one of the tech highlights of the year so far. Unfortunately, as impressive as the demonstration was, it’s unlikely to be militarized in its current state. While the Air Force’s chief of staff, General Norton Schwartz, called the demonstration “a magnificent technical achievement,” he has no intention of introducing the fat tub of chemical goo into the theater of war. Solid state lasers are the future “coin of the realm,” according to Schwartz, not Boeing’s chemical laser which he claims, “does not represent something that is operationally viable.” Of course, the chemical core of the laser was just a single component of the ALTB that managed to track, target, and destroy a moving projectile from an airborne platform. And while the technology might not be viable for broad deployment, that doesn’t mean that it won’t be fitted into a special forces AC-130 Gunship for covert operations until solid state lasers (currently limited to about 100kW) achieve megawatt status. Just saying.
US Air Force chief: Boeing laser “not operationally viable” as far as you know originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
LIDAR-equipped robot maps dangerous areas in 3D so you don’t have to
LIDAR-equipped robot maps dangerous areas in 3D so you don’t have to originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TED Talks mischief: lasers killing mosquitoes by the hundreds
Malaria is a huge problem worldwide, so it’s no surprise to anyone that plenty of people spend lots of time trying to think of ways to rid the world of mosquitoes, prime movers of the disease. Nathan Myhrvold’s company Intellectual Ventures Labs (and former chief technology officer at Microsoft) is focusing on just that. Using widely available and common electronics parts, Intellectual Ventures has made lasers which can kill mosquitoes mid-flight — at a rate of about 50 to 100 per second. Myhrvold first publicly demonstrated this laser (which is made of parts of printers, digital cameras, and projectors) at the TED conference the other day, using hundreds of mosquitoes in a clear glass case to make his point. The laser’s software determines the size and shape of the target before deciding whether or not to shoot, so, for instance — it wouldn’t take aim at a person or a bumblebee. The lasers could be used to protect hospitals and clinics in areas with high mosquito populations and in areas with a high rate of malaria infestation. Now, this is surprisingly not the first time we’ve seen such a trick — though it is the first time we’ve seen video evidence of it working. There are some insanely informative (and murderous) videos at the source link. Be sure to check them out.
Update: Video is after the break.
Continue reading TED Talks mischief: lasers killing mosquitoes by the hundreds
TED Talks mischief: lasers killing mosquitoes by the hundreds originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Boeing 747 destroys ballistic missile with laser (update: photos!)
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Update: Infrared images of the ALTB destroying the short-range ballistic missile after the break.
Continue reading Boeing 747 destroys ballistic missile with laser (update: photos!)
Boeing 747 destroys ballistic missile with laser (update: photos!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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