Filed under: Robots

While we swear our Roomba reacts to our moods, researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology have developed a humanoid bot that can use communicate using gestures. The 187-pound robot stands about five feet tall and uses a 3D vision system to recognize gestures like pointing and bowing and determine their meaning — and then use the same gestures when appropriate. The researchers say they envision the tech being used in caregiver robots for the elderly, but we’re not trusting them until we see proof this thing recognizes the gesture for “Do Not Enslave.”

[Via The Inquirer]

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Researchers develop robot with non-verbal communications skills

Filed under: Displays

It’s getting hard to distinguish all the different LED technologies out there from one another, but Light Beam Industries’ so-called LED-C system looks like it may have a shot at standing out from the crowd, with it promising to let you create any color LED you like. Light Beam managed that feat by creating a “monolithic component” that combines a standard monochromatic or white LED with a “solid state lighting source” that re-emits the light in the color of your choice. The system also promises to let you generate white light from 3000K to 6000K, and a broader light spectrum than other materials allow, including, as LightBeam points out, the deep red that “Coca-Cola and Budweiser require for their signage.” That should also tell you something about the technology’s target market although, from the looks of it, it seems like it could also find its way into an updated version of a certain childhood favorite “signage” system.

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LED-C turns Lite-Brite green with envy

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Nokia — always known to break a phone-lover off some snazzy new junk — currently wants to get up in your headspace with its new Bluetooth earpiece, the BH-101. What can the BH-101 do for you, you ask? Well for starters, it’ll deliver eight hours of talktime, 180 hours of sweet, silent standby, Bluetooth 2.0 (with EDR, Handsfree v.1.5, and Headset v.1.1), plus it will go easy on the wallet with a €30 / $40 price tag. Ready to give the appearance that you’re talking to yourself? Do it this “Christmas season” with Nokia’s help.

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Nokia intros the BH-101 Bluetooth earpiece

Filed under: Gaming

It had to come to this eventually, with all the features Sony’s been adding and dropping to the various PS3 SKUs — Wired’s Chris Kohler has whipped up a Venn diagram to help the addled consumer pick out the right one. Although Kohler says it started out as a joke, it’s actually pretty interesting — and the 20GB model seems like the big winner with all the important features, full backwards compatibility, and a street price of $380. Now, when is someone going to make the Wii version?

[Via BoingBoing Gadgets]

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PS3 Venn diagram helps you choose the right model

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

MPIO’s MO100 doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot going for it, and interestingly enough, neither does Grundig’s MPixx 2000. Of course, that could be because they’re likely the exact same player save for the branding. Just look for yourself — you’ll notice the same 1.8-inch 160 x 128 resolution display, MP3 / WMA / SMV / JPEG / BMP format support, FM tuner and real-time recording as found on the Grundig, and in case you needed any additional proof, the MO100 arrives in 1GB and 2GB flavors, too. Nevertheless, it still features USB connectivity, around 12-hours of continuous playback and looks a touch nicer in that blue motif, but don’t expect anything revolutionary for obvious reasons.

[Via AnythingButiPod]

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MPIO’s MO100 DAP takes a note from Grundig

Filed under: Handhelds

Those sitting tight for Cybook’s Gen3 e-book reader can finally do something other than just wait for it. That’s right, Bookeen’s latest is finally on sale, and just as promised (the second time, that is), it’s available now (read: in October) for $350. If you’re wondering what all that coin will get you, you can look forward to 8,000 page flips without a recharge, a daylight-readable 800 x 600 resolution display, 2.5-millimeter stereo headphone jack, 64MB of storage, an SD expansion slot and USB connectivity. So go on, bust out that credit card and count down the minutes till it arrives on your doorstep.

[Via Teleread]

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Cybook Gen3 e-book reader on sale now for $350

Images of Dell’s newest upcoming all-in-one XPS One have surfaced. The new machine looks to go head-to-head with Apple’s iMac and the Gateway One, sporting a 22-inch WSXGA (1,680 x 1,050) display with two built-in speakers and media buttons on the si.

Dell all-in-one XPS One takes on iMac

Filed under: Gaming

Nintendo’s as cagey as tech companies come, but the WSJ is reporting on a recent and unusual high level, high impact strategy presentation where in top ‘Tendo execs revealed what’s described as a change in its current business model: using its foothold in the video game market to sell casual gamers and non-gamers products focused more on utilitarian functions. You know, boring stuff — like, stuff that’s not games. What they want to sell Nintendo wouldn’t specifically say, but they’re focusing first on the flagship portable, the DS, rolling out what the WSJ describes as “features [that] will be useful in places like train stations, amusement parks or museums and [that] could be accessed wirelessly,” as well as a new “television-programming feature for the Japanese market. to check television listings, run searches by keyword and genre, and highlight each family member’s favorite programs.” Maybe this pseudo-DVR like functionality will somehow play into their forthcoming 1seg tuner, but precisely how the rest of this completely underwhelming and disappointing news will manifest itself is currently up to one’s imagination — something Nintendo’s apparently lost. We have heard, though, they might be getting back into the playing card business, and possibly in keeping with that vertical integration, opening up a string of Nintendo themed casinos. Not a bad business to be in. [Warning: subscription required]

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Nintendo grows further from fun and games, closer to the practical and utilitarian

Filed under: Desktops, Features, Laptops

We’ve been poring over Leopard since getting our copy, and no doubt about it, there’s just way too much to say. The number of fixes, updates, and new features in this release is astounding. Granted, many aren’t major (and some aren’t even easily immediately noticeable), but the marquee apps like Spaces and Time Machine are instantly indispensable, while the finer details (like revamped Bluetooth and network connections preferences) leave little to be desired. Looking at Leopard’s gestalt, it’s plain to see that this by far the best version of OS X to date.

Read on for a long list of changes, updates, additions, and impressions, and don’t forget to check out the gallery.

Continue reading All about Leopard: gallery, apps, impressions

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All about Leopard: gallery, apps, impressions

Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals

We had a hunch that this spat between HP and Acer wouldn’t just fade away into the sunset, and sure enough, HP is on the receiving end of the latest scuffle. Most recently, Acer has filed patent counterclaims against HP in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin and with the US International Trade Commission, alleging that HP “infringed on patents related to personal computers, servers and peripheral devices.” Unfortunately, that’s about the extent of it, but Acer did go on to state that it would “take all necessary steps to protect and enforce its patented technologies.” If the gloves weren’t already off, we’d say they are now.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

HP hit with patent counterclaims from Acer