Skip to Content

Win a free GPS from Gadling!
AOL Tech

Canon wins SED lawsuit, can produce SED displays again


It's been a while since we've heard about Canon's legal troubles with SED, but it sounds like things are taking a turn for the better -- the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that Canon had not broken its contract with Nano-Proprietary (now called Applied Nanotech Holdings) since Canon is now the sole owner of its previous joint venture with Toshiba, SED Inc. The court also reinstated Canon's license to the SED tech, but since Canon stopped working on the tech last year, it'll probably be a while before we see any SED displays actually show up. We'll see how it goes down -- hopefully those rumors of a skunkworks SED project inside Canon will make this all seem like a bad dream someday.

[Thanks, Alex]

Seiko Epson's 500ppi 3D display for phones: how dense is dense enough?


Not that we're complaining, it's just that human eyes usually can't discern denser than 300ppi, and few interfaces are built to take advantage of... ah, who are we kidding? This is awesome. Seiko Epson has built a 2.57-inch 3D display for phones that runs at an astounding XGA resolution, and should be ready for commercial applications in two years. There's a special lenticular lens on top of the pixels to allow you to view images from multiple angles, which usually means a hit to the pixel density, but obviously this display can handle a bit of that.

HP gets hot on touchscreen technology, plans array of finger-friendly gear

In case you haven't noticed, HP has a thing for attempting (emphasis on attempting) to stay one step ahead of the sector. Now, it's being reported that touch technology is all the rage within Palo Alto, and HP is purportedly aiming to introduce "an array of products, including notebooks," that utilize the finger-friendly tech within the next 18 months. Details on those very products are few and far between, but Phil McKinney (CTO of the Personal Systems Group) sees touch "as the almost preferred method for nontechnical users." Funny thing, though -- it seems most everyone else recognized touch as the new hotness a good while back. We're betting HP has just been holding all of this mighty close to the chest... guess we'll see in 18 months, huh?

[Image courtesy of Old-Computers]

Lightspeed Design / InFocus team up on DepthQ 3D projectors

Although high-end projection makers have been figuring out this whole 3D beaming thing for awhile now, Lightspeed Design and InFocus are looking to bring the technology to a wider audience with the introduction of its DepthQ stereoscopic 3D projectors. Available in XGA and WXGA flavors, these PJs promise "rock-solid, 120Hz stereo 3D at 1,280 x 720 or 1,024 x 768 resolution" and feature Texas Instruments' DLP / BrilliantColor technologies, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio and a total weight of just 6.9-pounds. Best of all, these undercut most other single-lens 3D projectors by coming in somewhere under $6,000 apiece, though exact numbers have yet to be disclosed.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Sharp intros entry-level SB series of 1080p LCD HDTVs

Oh sure, Sharp's doing the whole OLED thing because of societal pressures, but it's no secret where its passion lies. The outfit best known for its AQUOS brand has just introduced a trio of newcomers aimed at those looking for an "entry-level" HDTV: the 42-inch LC-42SB45U, 46-inch LC-46SB54U and the 52-inch LC-52SB55U. Each of the LCD HDTVs boast a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution panel, glossy piano-black finish, a pair of component jacks, a dedicated PC input and built-in NTSC / ATSC / ClearQAM tuners to boot. As for HDMI sockets, you'll find four on the big fellow, two on the 46-incher and three on the "little guy." The pain? Try $2,299.99 for the LC-52SB55U (available now), $1,699.99 for the LC-46SB54U (also ready to snatch right away) and $1,399.99 for the September-bound LC-42SB45U.

Sony's XEL-1 OLED TV spotted at Sam's Club for $1,748


You can order up Sony's XEL-1 OLED TV from SonyStyle.com right now for $2,499.99 and hope that it ships by tomorrow. Or, you can waltz on down to your local Sam's Club, plunk down for a membership and walk out with the previously mentioned set for just $1,748.51. We can't say for sure if these units are available at Clubs nationwide just yet, but that's a comparatively delicious price for those in the market for an ultra-small, ultrathin OLED TV. Anyone care to guess how cheap this thing will be on Black Friday?

[Thanks, Vishal]

NEC announces NP41, NP61 mobile projectors


While it's possible they may one day all be replaced by pico projectors, so-called "mobile projectors" are still a mainstay for a good deal of presentation-delivering users out there, and NEC has just introduced two new models for their consideration. Weighing in at a luggable 3.5 pounds apiece, the new NP41 and NP61 DLP projectors each boast a standard 1024 x 768 resolution, along with a 1,600:1 contrast ratio, automatic keystone correction, VGA, RCA, and S-video inputs, and a promised 3,500 hours of lamp life in the projector's eco mode. The only difference between the two, it seems, is a brighter 3,000 lumens on the NP61, compared to 2,300 on the NP41. You'll also have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the NP41, which will land in October for $999, while the NP61 will start shipping in September for $1,399.

[Via Electronista]

Nippon Signal shows off pocket-sized SVGA projector


It looks like the potential for visual pollution from micro projectors just keeps on increasing by the day, with Nippon Signal now following up Mint's just-announced VGA projector with an even smaller SVGA projector of its own. This one measures a mere 90 x 55 x 20 millimeters, and it makes use of lasers and a pair of MEMS scanners to project an image, unlike some other tiny projectors that rely on a more conventional LED light source. Unfortunately, this particular projector still seems to be in the prototype stage, and it doesn't look like Nippon Signal is planning to bring it to market itself, although it does seem that the technology could be commercialized "soon."

[Via About Projectors]

Mint's V10 mini projector gets price and release date

Wait, who's this Mint character anyway? Ah, yes -- that Australian firm that hires Aiptek to do at least some of its dirty work. The V10 mini projector that we spotted earlier this year has been blessed with an official price and release date, promising a VGA beam in the palm of your hand for around $600 this September. As a refresher, you'll get 1GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot and a woefully inadequate 60 minutes of battery life. But hey, it's ridiculously small.

[Via CNET]

Ask Engadget: Best digiframe / alarm clock combo?

Frightening though it may be, the fall semester is just around the corner. You know what that means? You'll actually have to get up at -- wait for it -- an appointed time. Carissa, being the proactive student she is, posed this question:

"Going to school in the fall, I'm looking for the ideal alarm clock to beat the late nights and what not and noticed a few digital photo frames / alarm clocks. I want a decent alarm clock that has battery backup and good resolution on the screen for viewing photos. An auxiliary audio jack would be a major plus. Which one do you guys recommend that falls under the 200 dollar mark? Thanks a million!"

Look at that -- you all even received a thank you in advance! For those who've mastered the art of waking up on time and pretending to be a real live adult, which alarm clock / digiframe hybrid have you found to be supreme? Oh, and you know that question you've been hitting the snooze on? Yeah, send it on over to ask at engadget dawt com.

Hitachi Starboard FX 77 Duo white board gets demoed on video


Hitachi's StarBoard FX 77 Duo multi-touch white board seemed impressive enough when the company announced it late last year, but if you've been waiting to see one in action before you transported your classroom into the future, Hitachi has now got you covered with a couple of demonstration videos. In this case, Hitachi has paired the rig up with its CP-A100 short-throw projector for maximum showoffiness, although it seems you can use it with any projector of your choosing. That, of course, also means that there's no electronics in the board itself, with the necessary cameras and other electronics contained in the sensor bar at the top -- which, as our presenter helpfully informs us, could come in handy if you want to drill a hole through it. Head on past the break for the full show.

ASUS USB-N11 Wireless N USB adapter ships with EZLink

We'll admit, ASUS has us scratching our noggins on this one. Just last month, the outfit coaxed us into believing that EZLink was simply its way of saying DisplayLink. Now, however, it seems that it's a blanket term being used anytime ASUS "simplifies" something. Whatever the case may be, the outfit has introduced its newest Wireless N USB adapter, the USB-N11. Sporting integrated support for Mac, Windows and Linux-based computers, this draft-N compliant device also features a WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) button -- this is where the EZLink comes in -- that "allows users to setup a protected networking environment with ease." Per usual, there's no mention of a price or release date, so it's on you to keep an eye out for it to land anytime, anywhere.

[Via I4U News]

Dell's Pocket Projector is easy to overlook


We can't blame you if you missed it, but Dell's latest leaked PowerPoint had one little gem tucked away near the end of the 31 slide deck. No, not the Coolslice homeslice, rather the Pocket Projector. Weighing just 1.1 pounds, this LED projector is either incredibly small, or that's a Texas-sized coffee mug... either of which could be true in Dell country. No word on release date though we expect it to pop with the rest of the Latitude E-series in Q4.

[Thanks, William]

Samsung unveils latest Series 6 Touch of Color LCD HDTVs


Samsung treated us to a few new HDTV lineups just last week, but apparently one of the fresh families managed to slip through the cracks. The all new Series 6 -- not to be confused with the widely available 650 Series -- consists of the 40-inch LN40A630, 46-inch LN46A630, and the 52-inch LN52A630. Each set provides a 1080p panel, 120Hz technology, the outfit's Touch of Color bezel design, three HDMI 1.3 ports and a USB socket for accessing digital photos and the like. Expect the trifecta to ship sometime next month for $1,699.99, $2,099.99, and $2,699.99, respectively.

Dell slots in 24-inch widescreen S2409W LCD monitor


Just over a month after Dell added in a new 27-incher to its (admittedly unwieldy) LCD monitor family, along comes a sibling with a few less pixels and a much smaller price tag. The 24-inch widescreen S2409W checks in with a 1,920 x 1,080 panel, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 5-millisecond response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, VGA / DVI / HDMI sockets, and 160- / 170-degree viewing angles. The best part(s)? It's available for just $379, and it's shipping within one to two days. Hooray!

[Via Electronista]



AOL News

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in: