A designer going simply by the name of Patrick has come up with this concept for a watch that tells time using the same sort of colorful sparks you get in those Tesla-coil inspired plasma balls.

The way it would work is that two tiny electrodes would rotate slowly around the perimeter of the watch – one for hours, the other for minutes – and then when you touch your finger to the center of the watch face, sparks would shoot between your fingertip and the two electrodes and through a bubble of Argon gas to display the time. Pretty cool, eh? The other cool thing about this design is that you can still read the time even when the plasma isn’t activated – which should save on power.

At this point the plasma watch is only a concept. I’m actually not sure if it’s even physically possible to pack the necessary electronics and transformer onto your wrist to pull this off. Regardless, if you like the design, head over to the TokyoFlash design blog and cast your vote if you want to see it produced. For now, you could always just strap one of these to your wrist.

Case in point? This Steampunk plasma speaker that produces sound because of a small electrical discharge inside a glass tube.

It sounds pretty complicated, right? It’s probably not something that we ordinary folks can come up with, but it sure wasn’t that tough to figure out for Polish artist Conscious Flesh. (In case you’re wondering, no, that’s not his real name; that’s just his YouTube handle).

The Steampunk plasma speaker is actually a small, audio-modulated VTTC, which stands for Vacuum Tube Tesla Coil. The sound is produced in the large glass chamber that’s connected to the horn, which improves the low-frequency speaker response as you play your music.

Check out the video below of the speaker while it’s hooked up to its maker’s equally Steampunk MP3 player:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Dvice]

The 85-incher is notable in that it’s the only B&O set to support 3D content, and it uses active glasses. It also supports full HD content for 2D as well, and looks nice enough sitting there in its aluminum frame. The TV uses the Beo6 remote control and has a BeoLab 10 center loudspeaker underneath to match your high-end B&O surround sound system.

B&O are mum on the hard tech specs, but they’d better be really good at the price this set is likely to cost. It will be slightly cheaper than the $130,000 the 103-inch plasma sold for I would imagine. Naturally there is no price listed, because if you have to ask…

From the looks of this manual, as well as a number of devices recently submitted on the site, LG plans on a major refresh of their display line, with 21 new display models mentioned on the front cover, along with a couple of others I managed to scrounge up. The new models include:

• LCD TVs: 32LD550, 42LD550, 46LD550, 60LD550, 52LD550, 47LD650 and the 55LD650
• LED-lit LCD TVs: 22LE5300, 26LE5300, 42LE5400, 47LE5400, 55LE5400, 42LE5500, 47LE5500, 55LE5500, 60LE5500, 42LE7500, 47LE7500, 55LE7500, 47LE8500 and 55LE8500
• Plasma TVs: 50PK750 and 60PK750

With displays ranging from 22″ to 60″, it looks like there’s something for everyone coming out. That 60″ LED/LCD sure sounds nice to me. Woot! The shot below shows a rather unsexy photo of the sexy top-of-the-line LED LCD model, the 55LE8500. Check out how skinny it is. Looks about as thin as Samsung’s super slim LED LCDs…

There’s also a couple of smaller LED lit LCD models which might be nice in a bedroom or used as computer displays – the 22LE5300 and the 26LE5300, pictured below:

And here’s a decidedly unflattering shot of the ginormous 60″ plasma, the 60PK750:

Further examination of the manuals reveal that at least some of the sets will include internet connectivity (although it looks like wireless still requires an add-on dongle), along with Yahoo! widgets and digital streaming of movies from Netflix, Vudu and YouTube. There’s also the ability to view content from your Picasa albums.

If you’re in the market for a new flat-panel, you might want to wait a few weeks to hear when these will be released and how much they’ll cost. I’m assuming that LG will provide more details at the upcoming CES show in early January.

TV Armor is a simple, yet ingenious invention that keeps your LCD or Plasma TV from getting cracked, scratched, dirty or otherwise slimy by covering the screen with a thin, but durable acrylic shield. A 1/4″ thick layer of optical-grade plastic is thick enough to keep your screen from getting damaged, but won’t interfere with picture quality. Just slide the TV Armor over the top of your TV, fasten the Velcro straps, and you won’t have to worry about flying Wii-motes smashing your precious investment.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

They’re available in a variety of sizes to fit whatever screen you have, and prices range from $69 to $289 (USD), depending on screen size. You can order yours over at the TV Armor website.

Remember, your kids’ wounds will heal, plasmas and LCDs won’t.

The author of the article, DisplayMate president Dr. Raymond Soneira, singled-out the lack of a respectable viewing angle on LCD TVs, as seen in the pictures below. If you think that Dr. Soneira is nitpicking, think again. He adds, “The significance of this [the narrow viewing angle] is enormous, because it means that the ’sweet spot’ for seeing an accurate picture on an LCD HDTV is only one person wide, even for these top-of-the-line models, so essentially everyone looking at an LCD HDTV will see a picture with noticeably different coloration.” Wow.

But more than praising plasma technology, Dr. Soneira criticized the “marketing gimmicks” of all TV manufacturers – hyping their TVs with “features” like Dynamic Backlight, Dynamic Contrast, Dynamic Black, Dynamic White, and Dynamic Color that do nothing but “reduce picture quality and accuracy and introduce ugly image artifacts.” Other features such as contrast ratios and brightness were either exaggerated or “misunderstood.” The sad part? Most customers don’t care. Perhaps in the HDTV market, size is all that matters for most people.

[via NY Times via tv snob]

The BeoVision 4-103 is powered by an oversize HD 1920×1080 resolution plasma panel. Apparently the guys over at Bang and Olufsen didn’t get the memo that plasma TV is pretty much at death’s door – trampled to the brink of death by the ever-improving  lightweight LCD juggernaut. Still, a 103-inch TV is a 103-inch TV, and that is something to write home about – even if you do have to take a 2nd mortgage on the house to pay for it. Oh, that’s right, nobody is giving out 2nd mortgages these days. I guess you just need to be truly filthy rich to buy one.

Now you’ll notice from these pictures from B&O that the ginormous television sits on the floor instead of hung on the wall or set on top of a cabinet. That’s probably because this bad boy weighs about as much as a baby elephant.  But the BeoVision has some nifty tricks up its six-figure sleeve.

The set rests on a motorized floor stand that automatically elevates the set to the optimal viewing height and angle, and drops the built-in center channel speaker into position directly beneath the screen. The set can even automatically recalibrate its picture every 120 hours of use.

So enough of my yakking. Check out this promo reel from B&O to check out just how drool-worthy this giant TV is.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Ready to plunk down your hard-earned bonus checks, AIG managment team members? You’ll have to hold on to your money just a little longer when the BeoVision 4-103 is released this July.

[via WIRED Gadget Lab]

The system offers up the familiar top-down view and flipper controllers you’d find on a traditional pinball machine, but that’s about where the similarities end. Austria’s TAB has created the “Virtual Pinball” platform to offer arcades a cost-effective way to offer multiple games in a single cabinet. At the core of the system is a 42-inch touchscreen surface, along with a proprietary gaming platform which allows new tables to be easily downloaded.

Unlike some of the other pinball-specific systems out there, this one can also be used to play other action arcade games, so maybe it’ll be more popular. In addition to flipper inputs, the machine incorporates realistic tilt sensors which can be programmed to affect game play. Since the system offers IP connectivity, there’s even an online tournament play capability.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of digital pinball simulation, and would much rather play on an old mechanical machine any day of the week. But with the old pinball industry pretty much a fading memory, digital is about the only game in town.

[via acquire]

By using an array of plasma “tubes” aligned between film electrodes, they’re not only able to keep the display super slim, but the display can actually be bent. While it might not be immediately evident from the photo, the image on the big screen shows the flexibility of the screen material up close.

In addition, plasma tube technology is designed to seamlessly stitch together small unit pieces to construct larger displays. So for instance, multiple 1-meter square base unit could be combined into a larger 1 x 2 or 2 x 3-meter display without retooling.

At this point, the technology is in the very early stages of development, but if they can manage to gear up for production, it could find its way to market in the next 5 to 10 years.

[via TechOn]

TV2ART’s Lightascope attaches to the front of your flat panel television and transforms moving images into a work of abstract modern art. The Lightascope hooks onto your screen using a special non-adhesive “nanotechnology micro-suction” tape (that sure sounds fancy!) so it won’t damage your display. The artworks are even designed to provide visual interest when when your TV is turned off.

Lightascope panels come in a variety of different patterns and in 32-inch ($99), 42-inch ($149) and 50-inch ($199) sizes. Each one comes with a special protective artist’s portfolio case for storage when not attached to the front of your set.

It sure beats having to watch an episode of Two and a Half Men or Gilmore Girls.

[via MocoLoco]

The lineup ranges in price from $2700 all the way up to $7500 for the top of the line 60-inch Elite model. Below is a detailed list of models and release dates:

Pioneer has always produced some of the best plasma sets out there, so if you’re in the market for a set, you might want to wait until early Fall so you can check these models out.

Available in several modern and classical designs, the clever cabinets feature a ventless fireplace that requires no chimney or flue. The whole system is actually free-standing, and can be installed in any home without cutting into walls or running gas lines. Depending on the model, the cabinets can accommodate televisions from 37 to 50-inches. Prices range from

The PlasmaView VP-6500VHD is one of the first THX certified displays on the market (as a matter of fact, I think Vidikron is the first plasma series to bear that distinction.) It features a full 1080p (1920 x 1080) native resolution display panel, in a svelte 4.5-inch deep package.

The displays feature full 1920×1080 resolution panels, in a sleek design that conceals the built in speakers by hiding them in the sides of the cabinet. The sets also offer Samsung’s FilterBright2 Plus technology to help reduce glare and increase contrast even in bright environments. The displays will also have a wide array of inputs including three HDMI ports, and even a USB 2.0 port. Also on board will be a built-in ATSC/NTSC tuner for over-the-air television programming.

[via fosfor gadgets]

Scheduled to hit store shelves in February, the Vizio VM60P will feature a 60-inch diagonal panel running at WXGA resolution (1366×768). The display features all of the bells and whistles included in their 50-inch model, such as Faroudja DCDi video processing and color tweaking capabilities. The set also features a whopping four HDMI inputs and can accept 1080p signal sources (scaled down to the displays native resolution, though).

If you’re in the market for a large display and thought your only choices were RPTVs, you might want to wait a few weeks to check one out of these displays.

[via Crave]

Both sets feature WXGA (1366×768) resolution and can handle 480p, 720p and 1080i source signals. The Cineon’s also offer an on-board NTSC/ATSC digital tuner for over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. The 42-inch model claims a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, while the 50-inch offers 8000:1. The sets also feature a diverse array of inputs including VGA, HDMI, component, composite and S-video. The displays are available for purchase now through custom A/V and home theater installers.