Vuzix Wrap 1200VR video eyewear unveiled

Vuzix is well known for their range of video eyewear, and they are certainly keeping up with the times with their latest release, the Vuzix Wrap 1200VR video eyewear. Why the VR suffix in the model number? Well, VR means Virtual Reality, and it should usher in a new era of video eyewear. The Wrap 1200VR is said to be able to support widescreen VGA video up to 720P, not to mention the latest 3D games as well as upgraded head-tracking to make sure it remains ahead of the pack (while you edge past the Joneses with your latest gizmo).

Do not expect to look nerdy with this sunglass-style Wrap 1200VR, as careful thought had been incorporated into the overall design. Capable of bringing virtual worlds to life with its 16:9 widescreen, you can also more or less “step inside” your thanks to the virtual display and superior head tracking capability. The supersized display itself will feature a 35 degree field of view, which is similar to watching 3D content on a 75″ display from as near as 10 feet away.

Just what makes up the Wrap 1200VR’s head tracking technology? Well, it is known as the Wrap Tracker 6TC that sports a compass, alongside the aid of 9 sensors that work together to create a 3 degree of freedom solution with automatic drift compensation for smooth, realistic motion tracking. Don’t worry about new versions of 3D videos – this model supports the latest side-by-side 3D video format, not to mention playing nice with over 100 titles for 3D video and/or head tracking. Love video gaming staples like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Fallout 3, and F.E.A.R.? Fret not, those are all covered.

The Wrap 1200VR will be able to hook up to more or less any Windows graphic card desktop or laptop computer, never mind the make or model. Windows 7, Vista and XP (32 and 64-bit versions) will also be supported, making the Wrap 1200VR more or less the perfect big screen interactive gaming monitor. Throwing in optional interfaces, the Wrap 1200VR can connect to component video devices such as the Xbox 360 and PS3.

All that technology is not going to come cheap though – we’re looking at a price point of $599.99, but good thing it is large enough to fit over most prescription eyewear – unless you use a frame that is extremely artsy and way out large.

Read more »

MIT Media Lab City Car could be our automobile future

MIT Media Lab showed off this particular CityCar at a conference lately, and it is very good. Just to let you know, it is still a concept, but it should be full-sized and in production in about 2013.

You can watch a video of it after the jump, and you can see that it has a very unusual folding ability. The folding is perfect for city parking places, where space is an issue. Just think how much less room these cars would take up in comparison to full size cars of today!

The folding also serves a secondary purpose as it allows the driver to get into the car standing instead of that acute or obtuse angle that one does when getting in the driver’s seat of ordinary vehicles.

In addition to these amazing abilities, the CityCar can turn its wheels at extremely odd angles. You can see in the video that the wheels can turn inward so the vehicle can make “O-turns”.

Oh man, I can just see a future where big cities are full of cars like these! It would be like everyone owning a SmartCar, but smaller. This would make a mini-van seem like a semi with these kinds of standards. Right now, my mind is filling with images of science-fiction future cities, without the dystopian shadows.

Source: Engadget

Read more »

SpyNet Night Vision Mission Video Watch

Do you happen to feel a little bit like James Bond at the moment, and want to make sure that you have the gear to go along with your spying adventures in the future? Well, ThinkGeek might have just the device for you – the SpyNet Night Vision Mission Video Watch. It looks like a kid’s toy at first glance, although this is the real deal (of course, it won’t be as good as what the guys in SEAL Team 6 have), featuring built-in night vision capability to boot.

To put it in a nutshell, the SpyNet Night Vision Mission Video Watch works as claimed. It will be able to record not only video but audio as well, and if you so desire, you can have it shoot stills – in either the regular manner, or you can always opt for the time lapse mode. To sweeten the deal, this puppy even comes with downloadable spy missions, games and apps to get you started right out of the box!

There is the Snake Cam add-on that you can get if you want to take your covert operations to the next level, as it allows you to check out blind corners without revealing your position in such an obvious manner. How about having it snake through your button hole on your shirt’s sleeve?

The SpyNet Night Vision Video Watch will cost you $69.99, while the Snake Cam add-on is another $29.99.

Source: Coolest Gadgets

Read more »

MicroVision PicoP head-up display technology arrives in test vehicles

Technology in vehicles have surely come a long way from its early days until now, and we even have some sort of Heads Up Display in BMWs operating for some time already to help the driver keep his or her eyes on the road all the time, while gaining access to vital information at all times without missing a beat. Well, MicroVision might just be in on the next big thing with their PicoP head-up display technology known as PicoHUD, being implemented in test vehicles already.

This move, if it gains traction, might just end up with the commercialization of its PicoHUD technology within a mass production car model – perhaps targeted for introduction three years from now? MicroVision’s contract will see the automotive manufacturer and its Tier 1 supplier work together with MicroVision to roll out advanced HUD prototypes which will feature next-generation PicoP display engine that are based on direct green lasers.

These prototypes were specially developed for installation in early test vehicles, targeting specific upcoming models (boy do we wish we could get hold of such documents!) that are identified already on the automobile manufacturer’s production roadmap. Just what does MicroVision’s PicoHUD technology opens up? For starters, how about information such as vehicle monitoring, navigation, and radio controls sound to you? All relevant information will be projected directly on the windshield of a vehicle.

The main “engine” of the PicoHUD would be MicroVision’s PicoP ultra-miniature laser display technology which is capable of delivering a higher degree of design flexibility and programmability when you compare it against other technologies. The PicoHUD technology will result in head-up displays with industry-leading brightness, where it can be incorporated into just about any vehicle style without being hampered by space constraints.

Read more »

Awesome Flipping: BMX rider achieves world record three rotations (and lands safely) in back flip stunt .

Flying through the air this bike rider looks set for one almighty crash landing. But BMX star Jed Mildon is in perfect control. That's because the 24-year-old New Zealander is in the middle of the first ever completed triple back-flip. Watched by friends, family and most importantly a Guiness World Records representative, Mildon completed the feat at the weekend. The event took place in his hometown of Taupo on New Zealand's north island and required a specialist built ramp, which measured 20m high to build up speed. And to complete the stunt he had to pull off a perfect landing on the 3.6m high landing zone.When both wheels touched down and he rode to a stop unscathed, Mildon was mobbed by the gathered crowd. An estimated 2,000 people were on hand to witness the stunt as well as some of New Zealand's best BMX riders. The thrilled biker said afterwards: 'This is the perfect result to three intensive months of practising and training for this moment. The impact and implications hasn't sunken in yet, but I'm so pumped to have aimed for something once deemed impossible and made my dream a reality. Landing with both wheels on the downramp was the most amazing feeling in the world.

He added that he thinks his best is still to come - although having completed the stunt he doesn't have anything left to prove. He told a New Zealand television channel: 'In my mind I've started planning the next project but I definitely 100 per cent know the world isn't ready for it. I could handle going that fast (60 km/h) so I'm pretty sure we can make it bigger and better. I think you're going to see pretty crazy things in the near future and I think this is only the beginning. Following his feat Mildon also attempted the world's first Double Backflip Tailwhip but crashed on landing. He walked away unscathed.

Other stunts at the event included a Harley Davidson motorbike rotated in mid-air and a wheelchair backflip.

Read more »

Surprise! NASA unveils manned 'Deep Space Transportation System'

With the Space Shuttle's last ride right around the corner, there's a worry that NASA will be out of the manned spaceflight game for good, leaving it to the private sector instead. Well, walking back out onto the stage like a rockstar for an encore, NASA just screamed, "We're going into deep space, ya'll!" before diving into the crowd.

At the heart of NASA's "Deep Space Transportation System" is a manned crew-capsule-and-rocket combo the agency has tasked Lockheed Martin with cobbling together. Called the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (or MPCV), NASA envisions the spacecraft taking a crew of four astronauts into deep space on missions lasting upwards of 21 days (so, no Mars landings just yet), and then splashing down in the Pacific Ocean just like in the old days. It's also billed as being "10 times safer during ascent and entry than its predecessor, the space shuttle."

The MPCV's crew capsule design takes a direct cue from Orion, which was to fulfill the same role for the Constellation program, an initiative that was canned after it fell behind schedule and over budget.

That four-person limit is down from what the Orion capsule was originally supposed to ferry around at six crew (and lower than the shuttles six to eight), and the craft also doesn't look like it'll be able to transport the same heavy loads the Space Shuttle did, such as deploying a satellite into orbit. What it can do is take that crew out of low earth orbit, meaning real-deal, manned outer space exploration and study. It can also dock with the International Space Station, making one wonder if, in the future, the MPCV might not just deploy from the ISS for multiple missions rather than always returning to Earth. Here's what we're looking at — you can see the capsule nestled in the chassis:

We've know that Lockheed Martin was working on a manned capsule for deep space exploration for a while now, but it's nice to hear it officially from NASA. Now, after the Space Transportation System — the formal name for the Space Shuttle program — ends, it sounds like the Deep Space Transportation System will be the agency's focus.

From NASA Administration Charles Bolden:

"We are committed to human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and look forward to developing the next generation of systems to take us there. The NASA Authorization Act lays out a clear path forward for us by handing off transportation to the International Space Station to our private sector partners, so we can focus on deep space exploration. As we aggressively continue our work on a heavy lift launch vehicle, we are moving forward with an existing contract to keep development of our new crew vehicle on track."

NASA, via Physorg and Jalopnik

Read more »

Modder stuffs a crazy powerful PC into a desk

What computer is all glass and aluminum and looks sexy as hell? No, it's not an iMac; it's this "L3P D3SK" made by a fella named Peter from the Netherlands. Yep, he shoved an entire computing rig directly into a desk. In terms of style points, the L3P D3SK beats the pants off this PC in a desk.

Looking within the glowing desk, you'll find 10TB of storage and a Core i7 processor that can be overclocked to 4.5GHz+. Oh, and Peter says the entire thing is silent as a mouse thanks to its water-cooled system and 17 fans. Jeebus! Peter even tossed in a three-monitor set-up to make this thing a regular Batman command center.
Want one of your very own? You're out of luck buddy, because Peter only made one and he's not selling it. Maybe if you have seven months of your own free time, you can build your very own. And now for some pics...

Coolermaster and Tweakers, via Lifehacker

Read more »