The Geek Church

Some of you might remember when we discussed Corning when I was at CES. There is something about the idea of Gorilla Glass 2 and their super strong glass on our mobile devices gave me a sense of hope for the future.

The company has just made this video called “A Day Made of Glass 2″, which is apparently a sequel to a video that “captured the imaginations of millions”. Yeah, I haven’t seen it, but this sequel makes me want to check out the original. Feel free to watch the newest version above, but I will tell you after the jump that I kind of had mixed feelings about it.

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I’m not certain if you have ever heard of Siragon before, but you might be in the near future. The Venezuelan company was present for CES Unveiled, with displays like you see here.

These “All in One” type of displays have 23-inch HD LED screens for high performance video, as well as a 2nd generation INTEL processor. They also have ports and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Yesterday, I was talking about how iGo audio has produced a device that I wish I would have thought of. I feel the same way about Siragon. The elegant look of the display, with the speaker stored in its stand feels like an obvious aesthetic to me, now that I see it for myself.

Siragon says in its press release that it is looking forward to a brighter future. I can see that happening.

Heads up, dear readers! We’ve got breaking news as Steve Jobs of Apple unveiled the iPhone 4 earlier today. Obviously, you’ve got plenty of questions about what to expect from this new smartphone so we’ll give the full rundown of Apple’s latest product. Let’s start by discussing the iPhone’s design. Of course, the outer body of the phone consists of black glass and stainless steel rim, just like the infamous prototype misplaced, discovered and leaked in the news several months ago. The iPhone 4 is also three grams heavier and 34 percent thinner than its 3GS predecessor and has split volume buttons made of stainless steel. Apple says that this smartphone is currently the thinnest one in existence today. The stainless steel rim is also used for the phone’s antenna to provide better reception for 3GS and WiFi. The physical size of the phone is 4.5 x 2.31 inches in width, 0.37 inches thick with a weight of 4.8 ounces (137 grams).

Now we’ll take a look at the smartphone’s hardware. Like the iPad, this iPhone has an internal Apple A4 chip. Furthermore, the phone also uses several other interconnected chips, which include a Cortex-A8 main processor unit, a PowerVR SGX 535 and two low-power 128MB DDR SDRAM chips. The Cortex-A8 processor acts as the phone’s main controlling mechanism, the PowerVR SGX provides hi-def graphics and the SDRAM chips give greater processing speed. The iPhone 4’s battery was also improved, made 16 percent larger than the previous iPhone battery with a longer lifespan. According to Apple, the new battery makes the iPhone 4 capable of 7 talk hours over 3G, 6 browsing hours over 3G, 10 browsing hours over Wi-Fi, 10 hours with video, 40 hours with music and 300 hours on standby.

The new iPhone’s multi-touch screen is 3.5 inches with 960 × 640 pixels and Apple calls it the Retina Display. Thus, it has four times as many pixels compared to the previous iPhone display with 326 pixels per inch resolution in the screen. Apple said that this IPS display is the same tech found in the iPad, so applications can run with better resolution, sharper view for text, 3D graphics and vectorial art. The new display also has the same oleophobic layer as the iPad and iPhone 3GS for easy cleaning. The iPhone 4 has two cameras as well. The main camera is backlit, has a larger sensor, larger lenses and a higher ISO but retains the same 5 megapixels. However, the main camera also has an LED based flash for making photos and video. Meanwhile, a video conferencing camera is located on the front of the phone. It has standard VGA resolution, third-party application compatibility and also features Apple’s own video conference solution. In addition to these features, the iPhone has a internal gyroscope for tracking movement with great accuracy. It has a 3-axis, enabling it to detect roll, pitch and yaw. It’s also combined with an accelerometer to make 6-axis sensing possible. It features an extra microphone to cancel out noise and the same micro-SIM standard as the iPad as well.

Finally, let’s consider the iPhone’s 4’s software. It has ISO 4 for selective multi-tasking. Thus, you can multi-task with applications while consuming less battery power and resources. ISO 4 also gives the Retina Display resolution independence, so applications are instantly adjusted to look sharper. This applies to typography, 2D vector graphics and 3D graphics as well. Meanwhile, the iPhone also offers the capability for video calling, made possible with its video conferencing camera. Apple calls this service FaceTime and communication is available from one iPhone 4 to another over Wi-Fi. Apple is featuring a new editing sofware called iMovie for iPhone as well. This software runs on hi-def with 720p, allowing you to edit video clips, add extra effects for still images and gives you access to a music soundtrack from your phone’s iTunes. Then you can export finished videos to 360p, 520p and 720p. However, iMovie is a separate application not included with the iPhone 4 itself. Lastly, ibooks are also compatible with ISO 4 and they’re accessible through the same controls used on the iPad’s iBook application. The new smartphone is scheduled for release on June 24 in black or white color options while prices are $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB.

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Scrolling through options on a menu or running applications on a screen with just a simple wave or gesture of your hands seems like something out of science fiction, doesn’t it? Beyond the world of movies, this technology isn’t completely possible right now. However, Toshiba is now very close to actually creating this technological breakthrough. Recently, they developed a gesture-control concept for interface screens.

They call this concept the AirSwing and they also built a working prototype with real gesture control capability. The prototype is a user interface that runs on 4% processing power of the 400MHz ARM 11 processor and gesture control is made possible through a regular webcam. When using this interface, a transparent image of you is put on the screen, which then displays a menu with options you can scroll through with hand gestures. Furthermore, you can also move your transparent self around on the screen and use it to manipulate accessible content simply by using gestures.

Toshiba worked with DigInfo.tv to develop their prototype for the AirSwing device. Currently, there is no information about a release date or cost for the consumer concerning this new innovation. Sources indicate that this user interface will only be available as a tool of advertising at this point. Nonetheless, the technology of gesture-controlled interface screens seems to be an imminent reality for the near future.

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In this modern age, technology continues to become more portable for greater accessibility and effective use on the go. This applies not just for consumer products but also professional equipment and hardware for the military as well. The U.S. Armed Forces is currently looking for a better method of communication between soldiers during their operations in active duty. So, the mighty computer company Hewlett-Packard is in the process of developing watch computers for our nation’s troops.

They’ve named their concept the Dick Tracy watch. This device will utilize a flexible, wrist-mounted display designed to run on solar energy and plastic will be a major component in its creation. The purpose of this project is to create a versatile, communication device for use on the battlefield that won’t be hindered by a limited power source or possible malfunction.

Currently, there is no information about the military’s long-term plans for using the Dick Tracy watch. Personally, I wonder how realistic it is to actually make this technology in the real world since the concept itself is named after the tech of a comic book character. It seems that scientists, inventors and research companies like to draw their inspiration for new innovations directly from the literature and films of science fiction and fantasy.

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In this culture, we’ve grown accustomed to receiving information from screens on the personal devices, professional equipment and machines we currently use in this technological age. Of course, desktops, laptops, netbooks, smartphones and digital cameras are among the devices that give us relevant information on a screen. However, a day may come when screens become obsolete and holographic displays will be the new standard for giving information.

Frog Design believes that this day is approaching and they have developed some concepts for the holographic display as a source of information. One of their ideas is called Bodynet, a constant health monitor that shows information about the effects that a specific activity you’re involved in or specific food you’re about to eat is most likely to have on your body. According to Frog Design, the concept of Bodynet could be used in restaurants where the holographic display would be projected from your food tray. Other design ideas from Frog Design include the ThingBook, a holographic catalog for a variety of products you’d want to buy and the Whuffie Meter, a holographic display of your social standing. The Whuffie Meter would be shown in an open environment to determine your personal status by the clothing you choose to wear.

These concepts by Frog Design certainly explore the possibilities of receiving information from something other than the screen of a electronic device and could become available by 2020. However, I have to wonder how practical it would be to make holographic displays the new standard for receiving or giving information. Using this concept on our current technology and technology of the future is likely to make high financial costs for the general consumer, making such products less desirable due to their price. Besides, we also need to consider how realistic it is to make holographic displays effective in the real world. Right now, this concept seems to exist mainly in the realm of science fiction.

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The advance of touch screen technology continues to be a rising trend in today’s culture. We see it now on laptops, cell phones, ATM terminals and devices like the iPad. Furthermore, transparent display screens are also becoming popular. We’ve seen them portrayed along with the touch screen in movies such as Minority Report and Avatar. So, touch sensitive transparent screens are starting to appear on some of the newest mobile devices in development. Now the Korean company, NeoView Kolon is poised to enter this new trend with their latest creation.

They call it this new technology, T-OLED (transparent OLED). NeoView Kolon currently plans to use this technology in motor vehicles, providing motorists with a convenient way to view relevant information like traffic updates without being hindered by distractions while on the road. The company also intends to apply T-OLED to mobile and home devices as well.

NeoView Kolon recently appeared at the FilmTech conference in Japan and presented a 2.4 inch transparent AMOLED for head-mounted displays. However, there is no information about availability of this technology to the consumer yet. Nevertheless, transparent display and touch screen technology could become a standard for electronic devices in the near future.

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With all the hype surrounding 3D TV at home, it is nice to hear that some manufacturer is doing something about it. Samsung has just begun to produce 40, 45, and 50-inch panels with 240MHz technology. These 3D TVs can deliver full HD in 2D and full HD in 3D at 240 frames per second.

Funny glasses are required, and this will be the “3D active glasses” that can block the left and then the right lens. Many of these are electronic in order to create this “flicker effect” required for good 3D.

Supposedly, the 3D TV market will be a $17 billion dollar industry by 2018. I would definitely like to see that.

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Digital picture frames are all the rage, as they are very customizable with not only photos, but videos and various other options, depending on the manufacturer.

It’s very similar to our cellular phones, and I guess it stands to reason that someone would make a digital picture frame that works off of the cell phone. This is exactly what the Appstand is designed to do.

All you need to do is just place it in the $16.99, and you’ll discover a world of framed apps for just about everything.

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