DARPA is soliciting responses from corporations to build a very interesting satellite system called SeeMe. The system has a small launch vehicle sized like a missile that would hang under fighter jets wings. This particular missile could apparently be mounted under a civilian aircraft. The aircraft would then take off and fly to cruising altitude where it would launch the missile into space.

Once the missile was at its precise orbit, a small disposable satellite would launch with optics that can see exactly where the soldier who requested it is, and start providing coverage in as little as 90 minutes. The idea is that these small SeeMe satellites would be able to provide personalized space-based surveillance coverage on demand.

DARPA sees the system operating with a constellation of disposable satellites able to stay in orbit for 60 to 90 days before burning up on reentry. The launch system may be in the form of another DARPA project called Airport Launch Assist Space Access, designed for payloads around 100 pounds.

For more information on SeeMe, head over to the DARPA website.

Made by NHK and Panasonic, the display has a maximum resolution of 7,860 x 4,320, has almost 34 million pixels and other numbers bigger than the ones that your TV has. It also has “a new drive system to stabilize the picture throughout the panel, by scanning several pixels simultaneously in the vertical direction.”

I predict that in a hundred years, Sony will partner with ImprovEverywhere to bring us Liv3Theatr, an Ultra Hyper Mega 26-Hit Combo Finish High Definition Display that looks so real because it is real. Pick a channel and Sony will teleport improv actors behind your display to perform whatever show is on that channel or teleport you to where the show is being held. If you can find the remote.

[via Diginfo via Reddit]

One alternative is to change your monitor and get Philips’ ErgoSensor display. Aside from offering a vibrant 24″ LCD screen, it’s also equipped with a sensor that detects if you’re sitting in the correct and ergonomic position.

In addition to alerting you to maintain good posture, the ErgoSensor also keeps track of the time you’ve spent in front of your monitor and reminds you to take a break every one in a while. The monitor’s green too, since it automatically goes into power-saving mode if it detects that you’ve stepped away from your desk.

You can check out Philips UK for more information about the ErgoSensor display.

[via Wired via Oh Gizmo!]

I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard Colin Farrell would be taking over the role of Douglas Quaid in the upcoming Total Recall remake. I’m not a big fan of Farrell, I can’t think of a single film he’s been in that I actually liked. The full trailer hit the web over the weekend and honestly, the movie looks pretty good so far:

Judging by the trailer, Len Wiseman’s version has a lot in common with the original 80s classic – especially the Rekall machine and the “If I’m not me then who the hell am I?” line. However, it also differs a great deal. The new movie is said to follow more closely to the Philip K. Dick short story the original was based on called We Can Remember It for You Wholesale than the Schwarzenegger film. Guess we’ll all find out on August 3, 2012 when the remake hits theaters.

The LEGO-fied version has all of the scenes from the original trailer, built with custom minifigs, bricks (and a few VFX tricks.)

The Dark Knight Rises was directed Christopher Nolan, co-written with his brother Jonathan Nolan, with a story by David S. Goyer. It will be a blast if the trailer is any indication. The Dark Knight Rises will be arriving on July of 2012. Will Bane break the bat? We will soon find out.

[via Kotaku]

The game lets players determine Don Draper’s actions as he seeks to solve his problems. There are three possible endings, which can be explored by the order of the tasks that he needs to complete. After viewing a short animation, players will be given a choice of actions that brings them forward in the story.

It’s a pretty cool way to prepare for the debut of the fifth season of Mad Men, which will start tonight (3/25) on AMC.

[YouTube via designboom]

Oddly enough, it seems pretty relaxing. Sounds like Vader sleeping really. If the Lord of the Sith had a wife, this is what she would hear all night, sleeping beside him. So, if you find yourself wound up too tight and stressing out, close your eyes and listen to this 10 hour video. Take some deep even breaths. It will calm you right down.

Vader should actually sell this under the name, “The Soothing Sounds of the Sith”. Maybe he could become some sort of New Age calming coach. Yoda’s breathing doesn’t calm anyone down, so who’s really the master?

[via Obvious Winner]

Hot on the heels of a quarter in which the iPad 2 outsold every major PC with 15.4 million units, Apple CEO Tim Cook showed off the new tablet in his first product announcement other than the iPhone 4S since the passing of Steve Jobs.

While the exterior of the new iPad doesn’t look dramatically different from the iPad 2, it does offer numerous improvements both under the hood and in terms of display capabilities. As expected, the new iPad has a super-sharp Retina Display, with an astounding resolution of 2048×1536, or a total of 3.1 million pixels at a density of 264 pixels per inch.

Take that, 1080p! This means that you’ll no longer be able to distinguish pixels on screen as you can with the iPad and iPad 2. The display also claims to offer 44% better color saturation than the iPad 2′s already high quality screen.

Existing applications will automatically be upscaled to take advantage of the higher resolution, and obviously text, video and photos will look way better right away. But I’m really looking forward to games and creative applications which take advantage of the sharper screen details. Just think about the fact that this thing can push more pixels than an Xbox 360 or a PS3!

It’s all powered by a new chip called the A5X, a quad-core CPU/GPU to help push all those pretty pixels to the display. However, the CPU side still runs at 1GHz – only they GPU has seen a speed bump.

The iPad’s main camera has also gotten a much-needed upgrade, now offering 5 megapixel resolution, backside illumination and a hybrid IR filter, just like the stellar camera in the iPhone 4S. It also supports auto-focus, auto-white-balance and face detection. Video can be shot at up to 1080p resolution, with software based image stabilization. It doesn’t sound like the user-facing camera has changed, though.

Apple has also added a new feature to the iPad – voice dictation. There’s a handy new button on the bottom of the keyboard which looks like a microphone. Tapping this engages the voice dictation capability (which appears to be a stripped-down Siri), and transcribes text to typing in US English, British, Australian, French, German and Japanese.

The iPad HD also is the first Apple device to support 4G LTE – which means super-fast network speeds wherever you go (in covered areas, that is.) Top speed of the LTE modem is 73MBps, which is nearly double the absolute top speed of 3G HSPA or EV-DO. Apple showed off the 4G LTE running on both AT&T and Verizon networks, so you have a choice right away, though it will require different versions of the tablet. Internationally, Apple has partnered with Rogers, Bell and Telus as well. One other bonus feature is that the iPad will also support tethering, so it can act as a mobile hot-spot.

Apple is claiming the same battery life as the iPad 2, with 10 hours for Wi-Fi and 9 hours on 4G LTE. At  9.4mm thick and 1.4 pounds, it does weigh a tiny bit more than the iPad 2, so they must have had to put a bigger battery in there. (UPDATE: The iPad 2 has a 25 watt-hour battery, and the new iPad has a 42.5 watt-hour battery, so it’s much bigger.)

Prices remain unchanged from the iPad 2, with the Wi-Fi version selling for $499, $599 and $699 (USD) for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, respectively, and the 4G LTE models going for $629, $729 and $829 in the same memory configurations.

Pre-orders start later today over at the Apple Store, and the new iPad ships on March 16th to the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore and Japan. Much of the rest of Europe, along with New Zealand get the new iPad on March 23rd.

While the new iPad may be more of an evolutionary step than a revolutionary one, the new iPad still looks mighty impressive. If you don’t own an iPad yet, you’ve got more than enough reasons to buy this one. If you own an iPad or iPad 2, the new display, faster CPU, 4G LTE and improved camera might convince you to upgrade later this month.

Apple also confirmed that they will continue to produce the iPad 2 for at least some period of time, with prices dropping by $100 for each of the older models. You can find more details on the new iPad over at Apple’s website, and you can view the complete announcement here.

[Image Credit: Engadget] 

Streampix will allow you to view content on the web, your iPad and other mobile devices as well. There is a catch with the service though, it will only be offered to subscribers of Comcast cable. That means if you’re like me you live in an area where Comcast isn’t available you won’t be able to get access. For those that can get access it will cost an extra $4.99 per month. Apparently, it will be offered at no additional cost on some cable packages (like those expensive “Triple Play” bundles).

While Comcast has already been offering on-demand movies, the streaming service will offer past seasons of TV shows like 30 Rock, Lost, and many more. It will also have movies like Oceans 11, The Big Lebowski and others. I wonder if the service being tied specifically to a cable company if that will mean Streampix might get content that Netflix is unable to access.

[via Geekwire]

It apparently is, at least in the mind of film director Fernando Livschitz of Black Sheep Films. He created this captivating video called Inception Park where you’ll see a rollercoaster “flying” on an exhilarating ride through the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina – completely untethered. Watch the video below for a truly trippy ride:

How Livschitz did it, we can only guess. (Sure, we know he did it using video editing software and by adding lots of effects, but exactly how to do it is what I meant.)

[via Pop Up City]

The guys over at interactive design collective Lab212 created this work simply entitled Starfield, in which a user sits in a swing, and as they swing back and forth, a projected starfield moves in sync with their swinging action. The setup consists of a Kinect, installed behind the swing, along with a projector which casts the stars onto a blank wall in front of the swing. Check out the effect in the video below:

The application was created using openFrameworks, and even can work with anaglyphic 3D glasses to create a really immersive effect. I can only imagine that between the swinging and the rapidly flying 3D stars, that you’d get a little woozy from this after a little while.

[via The Curious Brain]

The bespoke LED enveloped suit was the creation of John Spatcher and it needed to be quite bright, since it’s the only light source for the film, which was shot at night. Sutton used a Red Epic camera while riding a skidoo to capture the action, and it’s really pretty spectacular. Check it out for yourself:

Between the lighting of the suit and the darkness, as well as the slowed-up action, there are moments where you think that Hughes is surfing on waves in the ocean, instead of a snowboarder going down a slope.

[via If It's Hip It's Here]

The classic post-impressionist painting underwent a digital transformation, thanks to Petro Vrellis, a Greek digital artist and electrical engineer, using the open source C++ openFrameworks. In this new, interactive version, you’ll see swirling patterns of color set in constant motion. When you touch the night sky, you can change the wind’s flow. Dragging along the tree trunk makes the tree grow extra limbs. The digital piece of art can also react to sound. The whole piece of art will reset once it’s left untouched.

This is a pretty amazing way to rediscover an already incredible painting. I’d love to see more classic works of art updated in this fashion – then put into an iPad app for all of us to enjoy.

[Vimeo via Colossal Art + Design]

The Love Box was created by the Honest & Smile agency in Barcelona, Spain and it was conceived for a documentary film as a simple way of capturing both sides of a conversation in a single shot, using an iPhone. It’s a wooden box which pops open to reveal a tray inside. It’s got a slot for an iPhone, and a carefully positioned mirror which you line up about 1/2 way in front of the camera’s lens. It requires a little fiddling with the angle to get it just right, but once set, it allows you to shoot split-screen videos and stills.

It’s definitely an interesting idea, but you’ll have to shell out €58 (~$78 USD) on Etsy for what amounts to a few blocks of wood and a small mirror positioned in the right spot. I suppose if you’re the DIY type, you could make your own if you don’t want to spend the money.

[via Wired]

This over-the-top looking setup gives you a comfy ergonomic leather seating unit with touch-screen controls, and a view to kill with three computer displays positioned just right for you to lean back and enjoy. The whole thing is motorized too, so you can adjust the angle of your environment without getting up out of your chair. It’s also got a work surface for a keyboard and mouse, and the monitors can be positioned at a flat eye-level if you want to get some work done.

They system wraps you entirely in its scorpion like design, ensuring an immersive experience equaled only by strapping on a super high-def head-mounted display (which doesn’t exist today.) Each LED-backlit LCD screen is a full 24″ display, with HD resolution, and they all connect up to your computer via a set of three HDMI cables. It’s also got built-in LED lighting both above and below the seating area, and a THX surround sound system. Each one is hand-built to your exact requirements, and even has an air filtration system on board.

MWE offers the Emperor 200 in other colors, so if white isn’t your thing, you can go with something a little bolder like red or black – which makes the whole scorpion thing much more effective. Priced at a whopping $44,750 (USD), this thing is definitely the Porsche of computer workstations. Though for that price, they should throw in a computer with the proper display cards an Xbox 360 and a PS3. The chair should have a massager too. Really, how much would that eat into their profit margins to throw those in?

If $45k is too rich for your blood, you might want to check out MWE’s “bargain priced” Emporer 1510, which does away with the fancy finishes and touchscreen remote, (plus you need to BYO displays), but is considerably more accessible with prices starting at “just” $6,200.

Samsung has teamed up with Absolut Vodka to show off the screen on a commercial cooler for its liquor. The screen is the front of the glass cabinet door. The buyers can see advertisements on the door of the cooler and still look inside to see if the cooler is stocked.

The 46-inch LCD screen has a contrast ratio of 4500:1 and a resolution of 1366 x 768 allowing it to show (720p) HD content. The downside is that the see-through design makes the display have worse than normal color reproduction with a 70% color gamut. Still, it’s pretty cool.

Samsung showed off a similar transparent display demo at last week’s CES, which was used to create what they called a “Smart Window.” What other cool uses do you see for a clear display like this?

The iOptik lenses work thanks to a set of special polarizing filters, which separate high intensity light from ambient light, and a secondary internal magnifying lens, which focuses the light into a single, narrow beam. The light rays are transferred independently to the retina, allowing users to focus on far away and close visuals, in full field of view. These contacts allow you to easily view images on a tiny close-up display (such as on a pair of sunglasses) while at the same time viewing your surroundings without any focus difficulties. The contacts do away with the need for the bulky optics usually found in today’s head-mounted displays, and when a compatible display is not present, the contacts would provide normal vision.

Innovega is working with DARPA to create prototypes of these types of lenses and beta test them for the military. A consumer model should also be available within the next couple of years, priced similarly to regular contact lenses.

While we’re still a long way off from displays built into contact lenses themselves, this is a major step forward in improving the usability of portable displays.

[via DVice]

Sony is using a red, green, and blue LED for each of the corresponding pixels on the screen. That means that the 55-inch prototypes it’s showing off at CES each have about 6 million LEDs to generate a 1080p image. The tiny LEDs are mounted directly to the front of the display. The contrast is said to be so high that it can’t be measured.

The TV also promises some very intense colors and perhaps the most awesome image quality ever. The LED tech allows the set to have a 1.4 times wider color gamut than conventional backlit LCD screens. There is no word on when the tech will come to market or how much it will cost. You can count on it taking a long time and being expensive when it lands though.

Instead of just a single camera that captures traffic in front of you, this portable device has a pair of swiveling digital cameras which can capture images in front and behind you. Or to your left and to your right, or just about any other combination of angles. Each camera can rotate a full 180 degrees.

If you do chose to use it in your car, it has a handy “SOS” button, which automatically makes sure that video from 10 seconds before and after an accident will be saved to memory. A G-force sensor also does the same in the event that it detects a crash.

Video resolution is 720p (1280×720), and it captures H.264 video from each camera lens at up to 30fps. In adddition, it can grab 1600×1200 stills (appx. 2 megapixels). Also built into the camera is a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD, which lets you view one, two or both cameras at the same time.

One other nifty feature is a set of four infrared LEDs around each lens, so you can use it to capture in the dark too. It’s even got a mini-HDMI output so you can view content on a big screen too. At least they’re nice enough to include the mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter in the box.

Content is stored onto an SDHC card (not included), and can also be output to your computer via the USB port. The Dual Camera DVR also comes with a suction cup mount for use on your windshield or other smooth surface. While it’s designed to run using you car’s 12V cigarette charger, it has a built-in rechargeable battery. It also comes with a remote control, so you can activate recording remotely.

One thing to keep in mind if you are planning on using this thing for more artistic endeavors. One camera captures a 120 degree wide angle field, while the other captures a more telephoto image, as is shown in the video sample below:

If it wasn’t obvious enough from the watermarks on the images, the Dual Camera DVR is available from Brando, where it sells for $116 (USD).