Matsuda’s stunning video clip was created as part of his Masters’ program at the Bartlett School of Architecture, and envisions a future in which augmented reality has embedded itself into our everyday lives, transforming the way we interact with our living and working spaces. A wondrous world of heads-up displays show contextual information for everything from dishwasher status, to tea kettle temperature updates, to an inventory of the items in your fridge. Oh yeah, and lots and lots of ads.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I, for one do not want my kitchen walls covered with banner ads – even if they are targeted to my midnight cravings for Krispy Kremes and Grape Tang (unless Kozmo was still in business and could deliver those items in 30 minutes or less.)

Ah, the future’s so bright, you’ve gotta hope the AdBlock Plus guys are working on an augmented reality version of their app.

[via bldgblog via The Awesomer]

These origami tigers were designed by the Australian firm LAVA and they were made to raise the awareness of tigers as an endangered species.

They are powered by low-power LEDs and were constructed out of aluminum as well as Barrisol skin. This makes them really striking day or night. They stand a whopping 8.2 feet high by 23 feet long. However, they only weigh 441 lbs, which isn’t much considering their size.

They kind of look unreal, like a cartoon that’s decided to appear in real life. For some reason, I’d expect them to morph into robots, or something like that.

The origami tigers are being set up in front of the Customs House in Sydney, Australia, where they will be on display from February 11th through March 14th, 2010.

[via DesignBoom]

The company behind these unique OLED-based artworks is called Nanobrick, and their displays are called Miyoul. Some samples of their displays were showcased last week’s CES show.

Each different display has several OLED screens, which are from 3.3-inches to 4.1-inches. They are designed for viewing digital photos and videos – each one custom shot to match the sculptural display. Sounds a bit obscene at this price, but hey, if money is no object for you, why not?

The best of the Miyoul is the one called Flowers. The others look pretty strange to me. Here’s some video the guys from OWLE shot over at CES where you can see some samples of Miyoul in action.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via DVice and OLED Display]

As is the case with all 3D tech, HoloADs work by fooling the brain into thinking it’s seeing something that doesn’t really exist. HoloAD displays work by using a set of three independent images, projected onto the trapezoidal sides of a see-through glass pyramid (the back side is flat), so you can walk 180-degrees around the projection. The result is an image that looks like an animated, full-color hologram. In addition, the display units can hold an actual object under the glass, and can be made to look like that object is the originating source of the 3D projection. Just load up the  properly prepared FLV video footage onto a USB flash disk, and the HoloAD unit does the rest.

While the brief shakycam videos I shot below give you a little sense of how HoloADs work, the effect is nothing short of spectacular when you see it up close and personal.

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And here’s an “official” video from Innovision that shows off a couple more 3D objects:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While the demos I saw at CES included such mundane things like an iPhone and a silly looking pufferfish, I really want one of these loaded up a tiny R2-D2 projecting a repeated graphic of Carrie Fisher saying “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”

Designer Jinha Lee came up with this concept while he thought about his monitor. These small devices are supposed to be the prototype of a new type of display, on which Lee began working on in Tokyo while at university.

His design uses a bunch of modules that consist of translucent cubes which are able to emit a glow that corresponds to one that is transmitted to it. Each Bloxel is influenced by the ones around it. The image that’s displayed transforms as the Bloxels are moved around.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

This type of display is supposed to be used for multimedia artwork or educational purposes, but I think that they make some funky lights as well. You can find out more about Bloxels over on Lee’s website.

[via Designboom]

The enormous television gets its illumination not from LEDs, OLEDs or CCFL lamps, but from a 3-watt RGB laser light source. The lasers are projectred through a pair of 1080p LCOS imagers and the display can crank out images at an astounding 360 frames per second per color, which is said to produce an incredibly smooth and non-headache-inducing image. And yes, you’ll still have to wear those dorky-looking 3D glasses to see the effect.

HDi recently showed off a prototype of the display, and the San Jose Business Journal reports that HDi is now working with a manufacturer in China to produce the real deal. They expect to have a few units to show off by May 2010, and to ramp up to full production by next Christmas.

The HDi 3D Laser TV is expected to sell for somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000 when it ultimately hits stores, so you’d better start saving up your pennies now.

With Sony, Samsung, LG and others all racing towards delivering the “next big thing” with 3D television, it’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next couple of years.

[via 3D Display Info, photo: NewTeeVee]

As a joke, probably. But, with all due respect to the designers, as a real product this could use a lot of refining. First of all, if you have no control over which YouTube video is going to be played then half the time you’ll be watching something that you won’t find entertaining. Worse, it may end up displaying naughty or nasty clips. You may consider it a pleasant surprise to when you find yourself confronted by a healthy serving of boobies while waiting for your Pop Tarts, but would you want your kids to see that? Would you want your kids to see you enjoying that?

But most of all, I just don’t want appliances to become needlessly expensive because of unnecessary add-ons like this. We might as well integrate a microwave oven into HDTVs. Hell, that would be a better gadget.

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Check out Watanabe and Matsuda’s website for more details on the Castoven. Would you buy one?

[via CrunchGear]

Created by Japan’s PROTOTYPE design team, iPod Cluster Media is an early proof-of-concept that stitches multiple independent iPod Touches into a hive-mind display wall. Each iPod Touch knows what the other one is up to, letting touch signals on one display influence all of the others. There’s even a remote-control iPod that can be used to send information to the display wall. Check out the video below to see some of the cool multi-multi-touch action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The system can even send control information to an external interface (notice the synchronized LED base in the video). PROTOTYPE envisions that their creation will one day be used for interactive digital signage for tradeshows and other exhibitions. While the first version of the iPod Cluster display is formed from a grid of 20 individual iPod Touches, but from the looks of this image, these guys have much, much bigger plans up their sleeves:

I really hope there’s an App for that some day real soon.

[via Mongoose Studios]

By using advanced facial recognition technology, the monitor can tell when your eyes are on the TV screen, and keeps it turned on only when you’re actually watching. Jump to the 45 second mark on the video below to see an early prototype of the technology in action (or watch the whole thing to see some other cool Hitachi display tech from the CEATEC show)…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Both Hitachi and Sony have been working on versions of the system, so maybe that lends it some added creedence. I’m just not sure how much power this will really save, especially now that more and more TVs are moving to LED backlighting, but I suppose every little bit helps. I also think I’d turn off this setting the minute I got up to the kitchen and tried to watch my TV from the other side of the room during the football game.

[via BBC News and Engadget]

The display is called Diamond Vision, and it’s actually made of smaller displays that combine to form Voltron a super display of sorts. Aside from minimizing costs, the modular design also makes it possible to build a curved display.

The display’s isn’t pure win however because as stated in the video below, Mitsubishi estimates that the OLED will last approximately 20,000 hours – about 2 years and 100 days – which is a fairly short amount of time.

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Nevertheless, I don’t think us normal folks have any right to be disappointed – or excited – about Mitsubishi’s breakthrough because the display is meant to be installed in public areas for ads and such. Besides, what the hell would we do with an infinitely expandable display? I’d rather have a 19-inch TV that lasts 5 years than this thing.

[via Newlaunches]

It’s funny how the description makes it sound like Apple is sulking. After an adjective filled description of the glossy display, all they have to say about the option is “or an optional antiglare display.” Maybe they should add “Go ahead, you moron. Pay us $50 so you can miss out on all the awesomeness.” Seriously though I think Apple should stop acting like a child and elaborate on the pros and cons of the displays. By re-introducing this option they’re already conceding that point anyway. Might as well help customers decide.

[via Ars Technica]

Studio FRST also exalts its creation as “A technological sculpture in levitation. Between opacity and transparency.” So it’s a flying colloid?

The TV’s built-in player only plays DVDs, but hey, it’s built-in! In levitation! Between opacity and transparency!

I really hope something like this gets mass produced. I can live without the glass base if it means a cheaper product. And the square gap can be used to house the TV’s controls. Do it Pioneer!

[via MoCo Loco]

Phosphor’s E-Ink watches have a bold modern design, and feature highly readable electrostatic displays.

The Phosphor DH01, DH02 and DH03 all feature a display that combines a dramatic modern numeric display for minutes, along with a simulated analog dial for the current hour. You can also swap the analog dial for a numeric one if you so desire.

The DC01, DC02, and DC03 calendar watches offer a complete monthly calendar on the watch face, with the time displayed above it. Like the other models, the diplays can be inverted from grey-on-black to black-on-grey to suit your fancy.

You can find the full collection of Phosphor E-Ink watches over at Watchismo. All models are priced at $194 (USD), and are available with black leather, polyurethane and stainless steel band options.

The G19 has a little LCD display at the top of the keyboard which can display anything from on-screen widgets to videos to game stats for games that take advantage of the screen. The tiny screen offers a crisp 320 x 240 resolution, and can be tilted to the angle of your preference.

Built from the ground up for serious gamers, the Logitech G19, has a dozen programmable gaming keys each of which can store three easily selectable macros, and there’s a real-time recording key you can hit when you want to make new macros. There’s also the ability to lock out the Windows and context menu keys during gameplay so you never make that mistake again. There’s even a multi-key input feature that lets you press up to five keys simultaneously for pulling off really complex combos.

I also dig the fact that you can customize the LED backlighting to a color of your choice (although not on a key-by-key basis like the Luxeed I’ve currently got on my desk).

The G19 will retail for $199.99 (USD), and is available for pre-order now over at Amazon. It’s expected to start shipping later this Spring. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these bad boys.

Conventional 16:9 HDTV sets are for wussies. At least that’s what Philips is saying with their upcoming Cinema LCD televisions, which support a truly cinematic 21:9 viewing aspect ratio.

You see, big blockbuster movies are often shot in 70-millimeter or Cinemascope formats are actually 2.20:1 or 2:35:1 ratios, so end up showing with black bars on top and bottom on even the best 16:9 displays. With a 21:9 ratio, you’re at 2.33:1, which means you’ll have virtually no black bars when watching films shot in these formats.

Now keep in mind that the 56″ Philips Cinema LCD screen will have to stretch your precious HD and Blu-Ray signals to fill the screen so the former black bars will result in some wasted resolution. But what good were all of those pixels doing as black dots anyhow?

Of course, watching 4:3 programs on this bad boy will give you the fattest black bars you’ve ever seen, but 4:3 is so last decade anyhow. The Cinema display can also stretch 16:9 content to fill the 21:9 screen, but if you’re like me, you hate stretchy heads, and would rather put up with the black bars on the sides while viewing regular HD content.

Philips also says the Cinema series will include their colorful RGB LED Ambilight backlight technology, which should make watching movies on this beast a truly immersive experience. Expect the Cinema 21:9 to hit stores this spring. Pricing and release information should be available sometime in February.

[via DVICE]

United Keys OLED keyboard keep their prices on planet Earth by including only monochrome displays, and letting you program just 9 of the keys.

Each keyboard comes with a 3×3 matrix of custom keys, each of which contains a tiny 0.7″ yellow OLED screen with a bright high-contrast 64×64 pixel display. The keyboards ship with a OLED Manager software (Windows XP/Vista only) which lets you create custom icons and save macro functions for each key. The coolest part of the software is that you can set the keys to load in a unique profile for each application (as well as a default key set), so you can set different macros and icons for Photoshop than you do for Excel, and so forth.

The only real downside to OLED screens are their relatively short life span. With just a 40,000 hour display life (at 50% brightness), you’ll end up throwing this keyboard in the trash after about 4-1/2 years of continuous use.

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United Keys keyboards are available in either a full 103-key keyboard ($249 USD) with the function keys on the left side, or in a standalone 9-key keypad ($199 USD), which you can set on either side of your current keyboard. While they’re definitely no Maximus, they’re definitely the cheapest OLED keyboards you can get at this point.

[via OLED-Info]

[Looking for something more colorful and don't care if it's OLED? Don't forget about the Luxeed RGB LED keyboard.]

While Nanovision is making several models of these diminutive displays, the one I got to try out was the UM-710, which is the most basic of the three models available stateside. While the UM-710 ($129 USD) only works as a secondary monitor, the UM-730 ($169 USD) adds a webcam and microphone, and the UM-740 ($199 USD) ups the ante by adding a touchscreen.

The model I tested came in a high-gloss black plastic that’s reminiscent of the exterior of the Playstation 3. The black model is definitely a bit of a fingerprint magnet, so you might want to check out the white model if you’re anal retentive about those things. Personally, I prefer the black model, as I think it looks cooler on my desktop. (Plus, it’s the only color currently available outside of Korea).

Setup of the Nanovision screen couldn’t be much easier. Just attach the display to the included stand with a simple turn of the shiny chrome thumbscrew, install the included driver software, and plug in the included USB cable between the display and your computer (the display comes with a dual USB connector in case one port doesn’t provide sufficient power). Thanks to the USB 2.0-based connection, you can connect multiple monitors without need for an additional video card. Keep in mind that each display you add will eat up somewhere around 50 to 75 MB of your system memory.

The drivers I tested were a pre-release of the English language version of Nanovisions DisplayLink Core software. I only got to test the Windows version, but OS X support is also supposed to be included. The software installed easily and without much incident on my Dell Latitude laptop, running Windows Vista Pro. The only challenge with the driver was that after installation, it messed with the resolution of my main display, and I had to reboot. After the reboot, all went smoothly, and the mini Mimo display started to work as a mirror of my main screen. A simple tick of the “Extend” option on the included task bar application turned the external display into its own unique desktop. You can decide whether the screen is extended from the left, right, top or bottom of your primary display. For more precision, you can tweak this using the Windows standard multiple monitor properties controls.

When I first connected the display, I was immediately impressed by the sharpness of the 7-inch 800×480 widescreen display, which packs a singnificantly higher pixel density than typical PC monitors. There was a little bit of flicker when I first plugged in the display, but bumping up the backlight control on the side of the display by one or two notches immediately resolved this issue. The photo below doesn’t nearly do justice to the sharp focus of the diminutive screen.

The Mimo displays all feature a pivot feature, which lets you rotate the monitor from landscape to portrait mode with just a simple twist of your wrist. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the display doesn’t auto-sense the pivot. Even though the box says “auto-pivot”, it turns out that you do need to go into the task bar app and set the rotation manually. It’s unclear to me if there is or isn’t a motion sensor inside the screen and if this is a software bug or just bad labeling on the box. Either way, the display worked quite well in either orientation once I figured this out.

I did find that off-axis viewing angles of the screen were quite a bit better in landscape mode than portrait mode, however, so you’ll need to make sure the display is oriented properly if you’re operating in portrait mode for optimal brightness. After playing with both modes, I decided to stick with landscape since I could watch videos or open web pages most efficiently on the screen in that orientation.

A couple of minor things to be aware of with the Mimo. First off, I couldn’t find a way to apply color correction to make the display match my primary screen. While there might be a way to do this with Windows color profiles, I couldn’t figure out a way to make that work. Nanovision should consider including color correction software to make this possible. One other minor issue is the stand. The arm only has a single pivot point, which somewhat limits the angles you can set the display to. Also, if you swing the arm back too far, it’s very top-heavy and can easily tip over. That said, with proper adjustment of the arm, it’s not a big deal. There’s also no cord-control for the small USB cable, so it does interfere a bit with the sleek lines of the monitor.

At first, I wondered how much I’d use a display like this. But after just a few hours with the Mimo, I was hooked. I pawned off all of my Windows Sidebar gadgets, instant messenger windows, and used the display as a holding place for extraneous palettes in Photoshop whenever I worked on larger images. The mini-screen is exceptionally sharp, so it’s even possible to read entire web pages on the display while working on other documents on your larger screen.

Overall, I was really impressed with this pint-size monitor. It took just a couple of minutes to get set up, and it looks really great (especially in landscape mode). While you probably wouldn’t trust the color accuracy of the display for image retouching work, it’s more than capable of handling the secondary display usage that it was designed for. And while I wondered about USB’s ability to handle fast-motion data, I managed to play back full-screen video clips on the display with not the slightest stutter.

If you’ve ever find yourself running out of space on your computer screen, you need one of these. If you just want a cool toy for your desktop, you need one too. I’m already feeling like I can’t live without one, and want to order the touchscreen UM-740 as soon as its available. It’s already made me more productive, and it just looks really damned cool sitting alongside my other monitor. To get your hands on one, head on over to The Gadgeteers, who have worked hard to bring these slick little displays to North America for all of us to enjoy.

These new MIMO displays from Korea’s Nanovision let you add a tiny 7″ LCD to your PC as a secondary monitor. Each mini-widescreen monitor features a sharp 800×480 display resolution, and can be rotated into landscape or portrait modes.

Just connect the MIMO display to your computer’s USB 2.0 port, install the included software, and you’ll be up and running. You can even connect multiples to the same PC without need for any special video card. They each just show up as additional monitors under your Windows display properties.

The UM-710 model (98,000 KRW / $78 USD) is the basic version, while the UM-750 (183,000 KRW / $147 USD) adds a touchscreen, a built-in webcam and a DMB television tuner (perfect if you happen to watch TV in Korea).

At this point, MIMO displays are only available in Korea, but hopefully they’ll find their way stateside at some point in the near future. For now, you’ll have to head on over to Funshop Korea and admire them from afar.

[UPDATE: I managed to find some similar Samsung displays that you actually CAN buy outside of Korea. Click here to read more.]

In this video clip by the guys over at Phone Losers of America, the E-Ink display is subject to various torture tests, including bending, flexing, knife cuts, drilling, water, and fire. Amazingly, the display continues to operate throughout much of the destruction.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Color me impressed. I can only imagine this technology powering a bendy digital newspaper which could be rolled up, thrown in your bag, read in the shower, and even carried around in my dog’s mouth just like the real paper.

The only question I have is… but will it blend?

The watch is a collaboration between high-design and art house Gourmet and the jeweler Christian Tse. It sports a white leather band and a whole mess o’ white diamonds.

While I don’t have the official specs, I will be happy to do some rough estimations for you, so here goes: The watch has about a bazillion diamonds and costs infinity dollars. Hope that helps.

[via Cyana.Trend.Land.]