Only- Electronics

Looking at the functionality of the modern cell phones, it seems that something really innovative can hardly be designed. However some designers just go to show that their creativity knows no bounds. Kimberly Hu who created Nokia Scentsory concept phone can be reckoned among such designers as well. The concept of Nokia Scentsory can be considered as an overwhelmingly innovative one. It represents a mobile communication device that works with the senses of smell, sight, hearing and touch.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The US Postal Service may soon become very relevant to a generation which seems increasingly disinterested in physical mail. The USPS is launching a pilot program in ten cities and 1,500 post offices which hopes to aid in the fight against electronic waste. Come rain, sleet, snow, or any other violent natural occurrence, the post office will now allow you to mail used printer ink cartridges, PDAs, MP3 players, and other small electronics to Clover — a company which recycles the castoff hunks of metal and plastic — free of charge. You can feel pretty good about utilizing the new service too, as Clover is a “zero landfill” company, which means they do everything they can to avoid making more waste. Now, if the postal service can just do something about these old TVs that need hauling…

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Though not quite as posh as the Xacti HD2, Sanyo’s DMX-CG9 is still apt to satisfy those in no hurry to make the leap to high-def. The handheld camcorder arrives in white, black, silver and pink motifs and features a 2.5-inch flip-out LCD, 5x optical zoom lens and a 9.1-megapixel CMOS sensor that captures stills when not logging clips (640 x 480 at 60fps maximum) of everyday life in MPEG-4 AVC / H.264. You’ll also find a digital image stabilizer, wind noise reduction and PictBridge compatibility, and you can load in any spare SD / SDHC card in order to stockpile footage. No word on a price just yet for this entry-level unit, but those shacked up in Japan can look for it to land in late April.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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Filed under: Cellphones

The word is out, kids. Adobe has apparently gone against old Jobsy’s wishes, and it’s planning a Flash player made all special for the iPhone (ala Windows Mobile) despite Apple’s concerns that the technology — in its current incarnation, anyway — isn’t cut out for mobile duty. During a conference call today, Chief Executive Shantanu Narayen said, “We believe Flash is synonymous with the Internet experience, and we are committed to bringing Flash to the iPhone,” adding, “We have evaluated (the software developer tools) and we think we can develop an iPhone Flash player ourselves.” We wouldn’t be surprised if Adobe were to be given a pass on all those pesky SDK rules that would likely prevent a proper browser-based Flash component to be coded for the device, though those Apple dudes can be real sticklers for rules.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

It’s one thing to swoon all over Sony’s 3-millimeter thin XEL-1 OLED while being keenly observed by likely armed guards. It’s another to bust this baby out in the comfort of one’s home. Our comrades over at the Spanish branch were able to do just that, and of course, they snapped a few glamor shots before ruining its allure with fingerprints. Curiously enough, their model arrived sans an Ethernet port — needless to say, we’re still waiting to find out the story behind that. Grab anything that can work as a drool rag and hit up the gallery below.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

It’s one thing to swoon all over Sony’s 3-millimeter thin XEL-1 OLED while being keenly observed by likely armed guards. It’s another to bust this baby out in the comfort of one’s home. Our comrades over at the Spanish branch were able to do just that, and of course, they snapped a few glamor shots before ruining its allure with fingerprints. Curiously enough, their model arrived sans an Ethernet port — needless to say, we’re still waiting to find out the story behind that. Grab anything that can work as a drool rag and hit up the gallery below.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

The subscription-based iTunes rumor has been around for what feels like eons, and apparently, it’s rearing its always intriguing head once more. According to a report over at Financial Times, the suits in Cupertino are currently “in discussions” with major music outfits about a new model that could essentially “give customers free access to the entire iTunes music library in exchange for paying a premium for its iPod and iPhone devices.” Reportedly, a distribution model similar to Nokia’s “Comes with Music” could be used on both iPhones and iPods, while traditional subscriptions would be reserved for the iPhone — a device which has a monthly billing relationship already attached to it. As it stands, we’re hearing that the major holdup is Apple’s hesitation to pay big bucks in order to access the labels’ libraries, but here’s to hoping the iTunes buffet opens for business sooner rather than later. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Samsung fans, your wildest dreams have come to fruition. Word on the street is that the company’s do-it-all PMP, the YP-P2, will be getting an update in the form of a new 16GB model. The new player — which boasts features like a 3-inch WQVGA screen, Bluetooth 2.0 support, and H.264, OGG, and WMV playback — will cost somewhere in the vicinity of $347. There’s no word on a street date or price for US or European markets, but when we know something, you’ll know something.

[Via PMP Today]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Samsung fans, your wildest dreams have come to fruition. Word on the street is that the company’s do-it-all PMP, the YP-P2, will be getting an update in the form of a new 16GB model. The new player — which boasts features like a 3-inch WQVGA screen, Bluetooth 2.0 support, and H.264, OGG, and WMV playback — will cost somewhere in the vicinity of $347. There’s no word on a street date or price for US or European markets, but when we know something, you’ll know something.

[Via PMP Today]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Portable Audio

While it’s not quite a daily occurrence, it must nearly seem that way for the folks in Apple’s legal department, who are now facing yet another lawsuit alleging that the company has infringed on some slightly obscure patents. This latest one comes from Mirror Worlds Technologies, which claims that Apple’s Time Machine violates no less than four of its patents that, as AppleInsider reports, describe a “highly visual system that displays a line of documents and other items dating back (or forward) in time along with the option of searching these items to retrieve and edit them.” As if that wasn’t enough, Mirror Worlds also claims that the iPhone and various iPods also infringe on all but one of the patents, apparently due to the way they sort podcasts and other information. As a result of all of that alleged infringement, Mirror Worlds is seeking the usual injunction against all Apple products in question, and “triple damages,” which sure is step above and beyond most of these lawsuits that just seek plain old single damages.

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