Technabob » korea

Samsung Shows Off Bendable OLED Concept: The Future Seems So Much More Flexible

Technabob — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:00:49 +0000

While I love the bright colors and contrast levels you get with OLED displays, I have to say that I’ve been underwhelmed by the fact that they’re pretty much only being used in smartphone displays at this point, as larger panels are still too expensive to produce en masse. And while it still might be a few years before large razor-thin OLED screens might make their way to our living rooms and computer screens, Samsung is already looking way beyond that.

The Korean electronics giant recently released a video showing off the future potential for bendable OLED screens, and it sure looks cool. In this concept video, we get to see the potential for portable displays which can be rolled up, act as a touchscreen interface, and even let you see through them and interact with the environment around you. Here, check it out:

Pretty slick, eh? I for one can’t wait until I can finally buy a device which can be rolled up like a piece of paper. Not because it’s any more practical than a hard surface, just because it’s the stuff of science fiction, and that’s the sort of gadget I just have to have in my collection. While it’s doubtful we’ll see anything as sophisticated as what Samsung shows off in the video in the next few years, they do expect to start producing flexible OLED panels which can be attached to curved surfaces sometime in 2012.

[via OLED Info]

Memo Eyes: Sticky Notes for Your Eyeballs

Technabob — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:28:03 +0000

Take a look at the pair of glasses below. They look like your ordinary pair of contemporary sunglasses, no? Well take a closer look. Wait a second, those aren’t lenses at all. They’re sticky notes.

I’m doing my best to not call them Post-Its, as I know 3M’s itchy-trigger lawyers will send me a nasty note if I dare refer to them as Post-Its. So I’ll just call them Whats-Its. Or sticky notes. Let’s go with sticky notes. Now why would you want eyeglasses with sticky notes on them, you might ask? Well, here’s why…

See, you can make funny faces with them – turning your face into sort of a real-life Nintendo Mii. The possibilities are endless. Well actually, they’re pretty limited, but they’re still pretty awesome.

I spotted these Memo Eyes eyeglass note pads over at Funshop, so good luck finding them outside of Korea. But even if you could, it’s not like you could see out of them anyhow, and I’m certain they’re not covered by your company’s optical insurance.

ED-7270 Robot Looks Like ED2-D2

Conner Flynn — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:00:14 +0000

R2-D2! It is you! It is you! No wait. Sorry, I got the wrong droid. I’ve been confused ever since that old man worked his wizardry on me when I was on duty at Mos Eisley. No, you are not the droid I was looking for. You’re close, but no, you aren’t him. Sorry, pal.

Yes, ED-7270 sure looks familiar. Unlike R2, this guy is designed to work in the medical field. He can remotely sense a patient’s blood pressure or pulse and will then send the info to the hospital continuously so that everyone has up to date data.

He’s perfect for hospitals and nursing homes, where he can monitor the elderly, maybe even toss them a lightsaber in a sticky situation. The bot also has a live conversation feature, which comes in very handy. At the proper time, he can simply remind patients when it’s time to take their meds. Emotions are expressed using a dot-matrix display on its head.

Right now this robot is part of a pilot project taking place in a hospital for seniors and nursing homes in Australia. It seems like a great design, even if he is a lot like R2 and it has all the right features. Check out more details here, where you can find tons of specs. This little guy could very well help some elderly patients. Just no tall golden sidekick please!

[via advancedtechnologykorea]

I.dear Wooden Zoo Stand is Also a (Tiny) Whale of a Speaker

Technabob — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:44:44 +0000

How’d you like to do some whale watching? Well, you don’t even have to leave your desk to see this sea-faring mammal, who doubles as a speaker and stand for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

This little dude is pretty cute looking even when he’s not holding onto your music player. The diminutive wooden whale can sink his teeth into your media player in either landscape or portrait modes, and has a small built-in speaker. While it looks like his mouth is just the right size for the iPhone or iPod Touch, it should work with other phones and media players that are less than 12mm thick, and thanks to a 3.5mm audio jack instead of an iPod dock connector. Power is provided by a built-in USB rechargeable battery.

So what’s not to like about this whale of a speaker stand? Well, from what I can tell, he’s only swimming around in the waters around Korea at the moment. And there, you can find him at the Early Adopter Shop [KR] for 34800 Korean Won (~$32 USD).

Nothing Design’s i-Handbag: Nothing But a Tiny Purse for Your Smartphone

Range — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:01:02 +0000

Ladies, when you’re out and about, it’s just no fun to fumble for your phone in your purse. That’s why the Nothing Design Group came up with this interesting take on a smartphone case: it combines a case with a little clutch handbag, making life a little more streamlined for women who love their smartphones.

The i-Handbag case was designed by Jin-Woog Koo, and is supposed to let you to carry your iPhone (or other smartphone), credit cards, ID, money, all a single compact case.

I don’t see where you’d cram the money and cards, except maybe behind the phone. Regardless, the i-Handbag has precise cutouts to allow you to use all of your phone’s functions without taking it out of its handbag/case.

It’s for people who like the minimal approach, and don’t want to be encumbered with lots of stuff in a larger handbag.

[via designboom]

Koreans Go Grocery Shopping, Virtually.

Technabob — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 02:09:35 +0000

In South Korea, there’s a new way to go shopping, and it doesn’t involve going to the store, or surfing the web. Instead, customers of Tesco’s Home plus stores get to shop in the subway station before they get home.

The system works like this: Images of numerous items are postered on walls in the subway station, merchandized just like they are at the physical store. Each image is accompanied by a QR code of the products. Users shop the “aisles” of the subway store, selecting items with their smartphone camera. Once all items are picked, quantities selected, and placed in the electronic cart, shoppers simply check out, and shortly after they get home from their train ride, the items are delivered to their homes.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Clever, no? It’s sort of like a new spin on a service like Peapod, or the long-defunct, but much-beloved Kozmo. The whole instant gratification delivery model has always intrigued me as a consumer, but as Kozmo proved, it’s also costly to operate at a profit.

Still, with one-in-five South Koreans owning a smartphone, and not all of them living near one of the few Tesco Home plus stores, this is a great opportunity for them to expand their market, and for consumer convenience. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted waiting for the train to arrive, and wishing I could use the time more productively. I hope to see something like this here in the U.S. sometime soon.

[via KoreAm via My Modern Met]

Samsung D9500 75-Inch 3D HDTV Announced: Can a TV Be Too Big?

Range — Mon, 09 May 2011 12:39:18 +0000

The trend in HDTVs is that they are getting bigger and bigger. That makes me wonder how big is too big? Honestly, until I have a TV that’s the size of my wall, there’s still room to grow. However, therein lies the problem. How can such big HDTVs be maneuvered into place without needing special equipment?

It’s safe to say that Samsung’s D9500 3D 75-inch HDTV will be snatched up by people who want the biggest flat screen on the block. This recently announced TV [KOR] comes with LED backlighting and its panel offers 1080p resolution and a 240-Hz refresh rate. The TV has Smart TV, which is a feature that includes built-in WiFi, so users can Skype, play games, and access the web. Of course, users will need to wear 3D glasses to get the 3D experience.

This July, Samsung will release this monster in Korea for approximately $17,600 (USD), which is likely because it’s the first TV of it’s size and the panels aren’t mass-producible yet. Personally, I’d rather have Sharp’s 70-inch Aquos for about $2,800.

[via Akihabara News via CrunchGear]

GENIBO Robot Dog Struts Its Stuff

Technabob — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:36:17 +0000

Remember AIBO, Sony’s now discontinued robotic pet dog? Well Sony’s loss is Korea’s gain, now that they have a corner on the market for dancing robot dogs. GENIBO has been around in Korea for a few years now, but this is the first time I’ve seen the robodog in action, and it’s definitely got some impressive moves.

Made by DasaRobot, GENIBO is supposed to be more “dog-like” in its a appearance than AIBO was, but from the looks of this video clip, I’m not sure that’s really the case:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

What was the last time you saw a dog pull off dance moves like that? And I don’t ever recall seeing a dog that could stand on its two front legs – but that’s just me. Either way, GENIBO is pretty cute, and quite talented. Unfortunately GENIBO isn’t cheap. I found the robot dog over at RobotShop for about $1650 (USD). At that price, he better not ever poop on the carpet.

[via Robots-Dreams]

iRiver U100 Gets Official, Heads to Korea

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:00:25 +0000

iRiver has a bunch of different media players. The company has gone official with one of its first new products for 2011 and it is called the U100. The thing looks nice and can be had in a couple colors, with the green and pink offerings in the photo below.

The U100 is said to be heading to Korea “later this year” which could be months away or in a few weeks, no one knows. The device has a 3.1-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 320 x 480 and can be had with 16GB, 8GB, or 4GB of storage inside.

It also includes WiFi, an FM tuner, and a microSD card slot for expansion. The thing supports just about all major file formats for audio, video, and photos. The battery is said to be good for 11 hours of video playback and 50 hours of audio playback. Pricing and availability are unknown. iRiver has also released a short promo clip showing off a little more detail on the U100.

[via Akihabara News]

Moneual Play Ball PC: What Has Three Balls, Six Axes and Seven Windows?

Technabob — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:07:54 +0000

Would you believe what you’re looking at is a PC? Yep. This set of orbs is a completely functional Windows 7 PC, courtesy of the guys at Korea’s Moneaul.

The Play Ball PC comes with three spherical pods, one which contains the main computer, and the other two which house matching speakers. The main pod’s computer runs on the Intel Atom chipset, has a built-in 64GB SSD storage device and 2GB RAM. In addition to built-in 802.11n networking, it also connects wirelessly to the battery-powered speakers. According to it’s manufacturer, the whole thing will be completely wireless, so I’m wondering if the computer itself will have a rechargeable battery too. It probably does, since both the computer and speakers snap into that white monolithic docking station.

The computer also features a 6-axis gyroscopic sensor, which lets you use the computer itself in place of a mouse, and allows you to interact with the media playback interfaces without a keyboard. Of course, they call this thing an HTPC, but any real home theater guru would never live with just a pair of wireless 15-watt speakers for their sound system. While it probably won’t win any awards for sound output, it certainly will be a cool conversation piece sitting in your living room.

There’s no word on when you’ll be able to get your hands on one of these oddities. As a matter of fact, I can’t find it up on Moneaul’s website yet. That said, I know it’s at least been turned into a prototype, because I took the photos above myself during CES last week.

Pantech Vega X Phones as Fast as Some PCs

Range — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:32:20 +0000

Ever got annoyed at the speed of your smartphone? Well, this is something that Pantech has finally addressed in Korea. Their new Vega X is supposed to run almost as fast as some PCs, thanks to the inclusion of speedy DDR2 memory.

Pantech isn’t just some new name in electronics, they are the third largest mobile handset maker in South Korea, after Samsung and LG. The DDR2 smartphone, the Vega X, is supposed to offer some impressive processing speeds. It’s about 1.5× as fast as a their previous DDR1-based smartphones. But while the phone may be speedy, the rest of the phone’s specs are pretty ordinary. The Vega X’s 4-inch screen is just a standard WVGA LCD, so it’s a bit bleh. Also, I’m not particularly impressed with the 5MP camera. WTF is that about? Some Asian manufacturers are making 10-12MP cameras in cell phones already.

It’s hard to quantify the fact that they boast that it’s as fast as a PC. Seriously? As fast as my PC? I doubt it. I’m sure that even my MacBook Pro 17 will kick that phones ass, but hey, I’m sure that it’s faster than Pentium 1 or Intel 486 PCs – and definitely zippier than an Atari 800.

[via Fareastgizmos]

Female Mice Attracted to Same Sex After Genetic Modification

Lambert Varias — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:41:09 +0000

According to the Telegraph, a remarkable experiment conducted at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejon, South Korea resulted in female mice “to reject the advances of their male counterparts and attempt to mate with fellow females.” The modification involved deleting something called the FucM gene while the mice were still embryos. The FucM gene is said to limit the amount of oestrogen in the brain of the mice.

While this is fairly convincing proof that sexual preference is genetic in mice, the scientists are keen to stress that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the same can be said for humans. Scientists are not sure whether oestrogens have the same effect on the human brain, and Professor Chankyu Park, who headed the experiment, knows that answering that question will prove to be difficult, especially since it’s quite hard to find people willing to become test subjects.

[via The Telegraph]

Earlyadopters’ the Audio System Controlled by Metal Rods, Not Knobs or Buttons

Technabob — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:37:10 +0000

We’ve featured a number of unusual finds from Korea’s EarlyAdopter over the years, but this is the first time I’ve seen them come out with their own electronic hardware. While it might look like some sort of strange antennae or musical instrument, this otherworldly-looking device is actually a complete audio system.

Called simply “THE AUDIO,” this newfangled contraption houses all of its audio circuitry inside the central tower, and then includes a pair for super-slim satellite speakers to flank the main unit. What’s really unusual about the design of this uber-modern stereo is the control bars that stick out of the sides of the main tower.

Depending on mode, each of the metal rods controls a different feature. For instance, in radio mode, the bars control the band, station and volume. But in MP3 playback mode, the top bar controls the track, the middle bar controls the playback mode, and the bottom remains as volume. Controls are boldly displayed on a bright dot-matrix display embedded into the control tower.

THE AUDIO system has built in AM, FM and DMB/DAB tuners, as well as a 3.5mm stereo jack for connecting your media player to the back. You’ll also notice a strategically placed SD card slot at the front bottom of the control bar, so you can play back all of your digital tunes without additional hardware.

At this point, it looks like THE AUDIO is still in the prototype stage, and it’s doubtful we’ll ever see it outside of Korea. Perhaps the EarlyAdopter folks will realize they have a following around the globe and will indulge us with these in other countries. For now, you’ll just have to look and drool from afar.

Junimotion Kit Robot Will be Your Pal (for $4,000)

Range — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:23:55 +0000

This new humanoid robot will be available soon in South Korea thanks to a company name Robotro.

The 15 inch-tall, 6 lb. robot is called the Junimotion and it’s a kit that you have to assemble for yourself. That’s kind of cool, yet daunting. The thing is that this ‘bot costs about $4,000 (USD), so you’d better be really careful when putting it together!

This kit has a special sort of servo that requires fewer cables than most, making the whole ‘bot more structurally sound. I guess that means it can be chucked around a bit. It comes with a bunch of different connection options including ones for LEDs, audio, sensors, gyro-sensors. The whole shebang is controllable via Bluetooth, so when someone writes an app for your cell phone, you’ll be able to control it wirelessly.

Battery time isn’t that great, at only 30 minutes. Also, the price doesn’t really work for me. But hey, if you’re in the market for a kit robot – and have $4,000 bucks to spare, you’ll probably go bonkers for Junimotion.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Plastic Pals via Ubergizmo]

Sil-Bot: Grandma Gets a Crazy Looking Robot Companion!

Range — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:01:28 +0000

In an age where we expected robots to be all around us, it seems that even the elderly will be getting their own special robot.

This odd-little robot named Sil-bot is the brainchild of KIST’s Center for Intelligent Robotics. They are currently developing it in Korea. Sil-bot is designed to act as a companion for the elderly, playing games and capable of carrying on basic conversations. The robot also has a spatial camera system that allows it to navigate interiors without bumping into walls.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You got to admit that it’s kind of cute. Its arms look like the wings of a penguin and it’s got some funny facial expressions too. One weird thing is that strange appendage that’s sprouted between its legs. Maybe it’s capable of being a robotic boyfriend as well?

Currently, the Sil-bot costs around $35,000 (USD), but I think that it will get cheaper once it’s mass-produced, that is, if it is ever produced at all.

[via Ubergizmo]

Motz Tiny Wooden Fm Radio: Don’T Lose It in the Couch Cushions!

Technabob — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:40:17 +0000

Do you like to buy gadgets just because they keep getting tinier and tinier? Then have I got something for you! This weensy little wooden box is actually an FM radio.

Measuring in at just 1.45″ (w) x 1″(h) x 0.75 (d), the Motz wooden FM radio is the perfect radio for dollhouses, and people with really small hands.

In addition to working as a radio, the miniature gadget also works as a speaker for your iPod thanks to a built-in 3.5mm jack. Of course, I wouldn’t expect room-shaking sound from something this small – I think the laws of physics would prevent that. Each one has a built-in rechargeable battery which you can juice up via the included USB cable. And with the proper stereo-to-mono splitter cable, you can set up a tiny 2.0 stereo system.

Here’s a video showing off the Motz FM radio in action – it’s being streamed from Korea, so you need to be patient to wait for it to load:

For the time being, you’ll have to head over to Korea’s EarlyShop if you want one of these, but GeekStuff4U has been known to import other Motz items in the past, so maybe we can convince ‘em to order some of these for the rest of the world to enjoy.

Abigs T6 & D7 Wireless Media Players Jump Into the HD Fray

Technabob — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:58:17 +0000

Hot off the heels of the CES show, the market is flush with countless set-top media player boxes – my personal favorite being the upcoming Boxee Box. But even the Boxee Box doesn’t have tons of local storage. The Sarotech abigs T6 & D7 media players have room for an internal 3.5-inch SATA hard drive, you’ll never fear for lack of storage. And the top-of-the line D7 can even record analog media and encode it in real time.

The compact abigs T6 box features a clean and attractive modern design with a nice LCD screen for navigation of content on the front. The player can handle a wide variety of video formats including MPEG 1/2/4, XviD, WMV9/9HD, H.264, MKV, WMV, AVI, ISO, VOB, MPG, ASF, and DAT among others. And it can play video at full 1080p resolution. There’s also support for MP3, WMA, OGG, AC3, PCM and DTS audio formats. (Sorry, no AAC).

You’ll also find a wide variety of A/V outputs, including component video, HDMI, S-Video, and optical, coax and analog audio outputs. You can also plug in a pair of USB flash drives, or an external e-SATA drive. It’s also got built-in wireless networking (802.1b/g, but no n) for streaming files from your computer.

And if the T6 isn’t enough for you, keep your eyes peeled for the even newer abigs D7, which adds full Dolby Digital Plus and DTS surround sound processing, 802.11n networking, as well as the ability to record analog video (composite only) into digital formats in real time. Make note, the D7 does away with the coax audio output if you have a need for that.

These media players are made primarily for the Korean market, but Sarotech is including menus in English and many other language as well. I was able to find the abigs T6 over on eBay for $279 (no hard drive) and $349 (with 1TB storage). The D7 hasn’t started to show up stateside yet, but I’d expect to see it very soon.

Fils Sound Film is a Flexible, Transparent Speaker

Technabob — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:14:40 +0000

Here’s another cool find from the aisles of this year’s CES show. Developed by Korean electronics manufacturer FILS, this innovative material might look like a piece of acetate, but it’s actually a transparent speaker.

Fils Sound Film is a flexible, light transparent sound technology which can be used to create speakers pretty much anywhere you’d ever want. The speakers are actually produced using piezoelectric film which can produce sound waves when electrical current is applied. Sound quality isn’t stellar, since the low-end drops out at 200Hz, but the highs range all the way to 25kHz.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Fils currently wholesales a number of strange looking speaker units that are made from the thin stuff, like these.

But I think the real innovation will come when display manufacturers start layering this stuff in front of tiny flat screen portable devices which don’t have room for a speaker. I imagine you could also produce some pretty cool interactive art using this tech.

You can get more information on Sound Film technology over at the Fils website.

Merry Robot Christmas From Korea

Technabob — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:02:59 +0000

Here’s a wonderful little bit of robotic choreography and general weirdness from a recent Christmas special featured on a South Korean television show. Highlights include a robot chorus line and surreal reactions from Korean boy band members and their fans. Good times.

It doesn’t hurt that I have no idea what any of the people are saying in the video – it actually makes the experience just that much more enjoyable. It’s well worth the 10 minutes of your time to sit back and watch this clip…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

What do you want to bet that FOX picks up this show next Fall?

[via ROBOTS DREAMS]

Enfren Free Style LED Lamp is Also Fun to Play With

Lambert Varias — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:42:37 +0000

Enfren’s new environment-frenly friendly lamp isn’t called a “free style lamp” for nothing. The lamp not only has a bendy neck that allows users to adjust the height or angle of the light, the LEDs are separated into five disks that resemble contact lens cases. This arrangement allows for further customization: you can bunch the disks together to focus the light on a spot, or you can spread them out, presumably so you can share the light.

The lamp has three brightness settings and is supposedly 90% efficient, i.e. 90% of the electricity it consumes is converted into light.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Enfren’s free style lamp is currently available only in Korea, and is priced at ₩78,000 KRW (appx. $67 USD). It would be awesome if we had a lamp that could serve as a general-purpose ceiling lamp, but could also be directed or focused on one area, and also plucked out to be used as a flashlight. It should also be solar-powered, so you could still use it in houses without wiring. And it should also have a built-in PS3 and an HDTV. That lamp would be awesome indeed.

[via AVING]