All posts from Ubergizmo

The ULV (“Ultra Lightweight Vehicle”) one-person electric car has just gone gold in Japan - by that, we mean it is ready to rock the personal transportation market in that part of the world, thanks to Waseda Environmental Institute's efforts. Coming with a trio of wheels to move its 72.6kg frame around, this 2m long car is able to travel up to 80km at a maximum speed of 40kph. A single charge requires four hours of your time, at a cost of $0.40. To make it greener, Waseda relies on motor bike tires, a 400W engine and reinforced plastic to make up its chassis. Waseda isn't running a charity here though, and has priced the ULV at $48,000 - nuts considering you can't even ferry your date around. Hopefully, mass production and market demand will help push the price down to $9,500 by the time 2015 rolls around.


Permalink: ULV electric car goes on sale in Japan from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Sonic Emotion has just introduced its latest 3D digital radio known as Pinell Wide at IFA 2010 in Berlin, where it will come with a built-in color touchscreen display as well as a look and feel that hails from Scandinavia. What it does is this - create a 3D sound experience regardless of the room which you're in. Of course, we would assume that this means any reasonably sized room (as well as its shape), so don't go getting smart by claiming there is no 3D audio experience in your star-shaped room (if such a thing exists). Using wavefield synthesis, sonic emotion 3D sound technology theoretically will fill any listening room with sonic waves to create the illusion of sounds originating from all around you without the need for loudspeakers. We do hope that pricing and availability details will be released soon.


Permalink: Sonic Emotion 3D digital radio debuts from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Google Voice widgets for Android has just gone official, and here is what Google has to say about it.

“Mobile is all about getting super fast access to what you’re looking for and Google Voice is no exception. So, today we’re releasing an update to the Android app, which gives you immediate access to your Google Voice Inbox and settings via two new home screen widgets.”
The widgets will deliver quick access to text messaging, dialing preferences, a “do not disturb” feature, not to mention transcripts of your voicemail. If you're interested, the latest version of Voice can be downloaded via the Android Market. Bear in mind that Google Voice doesn't work everywhere at the moment though, so you might want to double check on your country before downloading.


Permalink: Google Voice widgets for Android is now official from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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You don't have to wear your underwear outside in a garish color combination to fly around the world, as Google allows you to do so with the spanking new Google Earth website which comes loaded with a slew of great content such as images, videos, tours and maps amongst others. Of course, for those who are not in the know, fret not - Google has helpfully included tutorials within for you to get started. The 5 new areas in Google Earth are Showcase, Video tutorials, More products, Community and Industries. While it is available only in English at the moment, additional language support will be thrown into the mix in due time. [Press Release]


Permalink: Google Earth lets you fly like Superman from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Viewing videos on mobile devices have become a whole lot more common these days simply because they have gotten very affordable. Of course, listening to audio in your movies with a standard pair of headphones is fine with many people, and Nokia intends to improve your viewing performance with their recently unveiled Mobile TV Headset as it offers DVB-H (Digital Video Broadband - Handset) support. With this peripheral, you can tune into sports events or TV shows without having to look for an Internet connection - not only that, it will be more efficient since DVB-H is kinder where battery life is concerned compared to regular Web TV solutions. The headset can still handle incoming calls and features volume controls like other mobile headsets. This isn't going to work retroactively it seems, as it will play nice with the upcoming Nokia N8 as well as other Symbian^3 devices which will feature USB-on-the-go support. You can expect to cough up at least €40 before local governments tax you on your purchase as it makes an appearance in Q4 this year. [Press Release]


Permalink: Nokia Mobile TV Headset from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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LG bags another first with their Infinia PX950 Plasma HDTV series, where it is the first of its kind to receive THX certification after passing over 400 gruelling laboratory tests that evaluate left and right eye images for color accuracy, cross-talk, viewing angles and video processing performance. Not only that, it also went through THX certification for superior picture quality in 2D which is mandatory before it can even have a sniff at THX 3D certification. It takes a mere button push for the viewer to select THX 2D or 3D Cinema Modes, and if you're so inclined for the latter, make sure you have at least a pair of active shutter glasses ready. Interested in having some class in your living room? The LG PX950 series will be available in 60- and 50-inch sizes, retailing for $2,999 and $1,999, respectively. This is one way to keep ahead of the Joneses! [Press Release]


Permalink: LG Infinia PX950 Plasma HDTV series is THX certified from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Sirius XM filed for the trademark for the XM Snap a while back, and now the XM Snap has paid a visit to the FCC. The bad news is that not much was mentioned about what the Snap is. Based on the picture, it's speculated that the XM Snap might be a handheld-satellite radio of some sort and will include a transmitter that can transmit satellite radio signals to the car's FM radio. Pricing or availability weren't mentioned, but hopefully we'll be able to find out more about this sooner rather than later.


Permalink: Sirius XM Snap Device Pays A Visit To The FCC from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Looks like the RS1000 wasn't the only camera from Pentax that places a heavy emphasis on customization. The NB1000, which is technically identical to the RS1000, comes with a Lego-like body, allowing you to customize your camera with different blocks that come in a variety of sizes and colors. The NB1000 is a 14.1-megapixel camera that offers 4x zoom and is capable of recording 720p video. Sadly, this model is only available to the Japanese market and will be available later this year for 20,000 Yen ($238).


Permalink: Pentax NB1000 Is A Lego-like Compact Camera from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Here's one more reason to look forward to the Nokia N8's launch this September - the Nokia Mobile TV Headset. Instead of providing you with common FM radio signals, this headphone offers you DVB-H TV signals, as long as you have a Symbian^3 phone that sports a USB-on-the-go port. Controls are built-in to allow users to easily change channels via the music controls. It's expected to retail for EUR40 ($51) when it's released in Q4 this year.


Permalink: Nokia Mobile TV Headset Offers DVB-H TV Coverage from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Deploying a network in a disaster area isn't the easiest thing to do, but the SMAVNET project might go a long way to making the job a lot easier. The system utilizes swarms of micro air vehicles (MAVs) that rely on intelligent algorithms that are derived from the behavior of army ants. These MAVs will carry an off-the-shelf USB wireless dongle and follow simple rules to optimize their positions and scout new territory, easily establishing a robust aerial data network. Check out a video of this system in action after the jump.



Permalink: Swarming MAVs Form A Quick Aerial Network from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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If you often take the train at the underground subway station during rush hour, you'll probably have noticed that it's incredibly hot and stuffy. The builders of a new housing estate in Paris have come up with a rather innovative idea to harness this waste heat and use it to generate energy for a low-income housing building located above the station. The high temperature in the station is a result of the energy expelled by each passenger and heat produced by the moving trains. This unique heating system aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions by a third, compared to using a traditional boiler room. This experimental project is slated to be completed in 2011.


Permalink: Heat From Underground Subway Station To Power Homes In Paris from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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Logitech's MX Air wireless mouse already did the gesture remote thing, but that doesn't mean that it can't be improved on. The concept GestureRemote has been designed to not require any buttons at all, and will allow users to interact with their television via a series of simple and intuitive gestures. Check out a video of the GestureRemote after the jump, and you'll probably be left wondering why we still want buttons on our remote controls.



Permalink: Concept: GestureRemote To Control Your TV from Ubergizmo | Hot: iPhone 4 Review, Droid X Review,
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