Filed under: Car Tech

Not like we haven’t seen capable nerds, um, nerd-ify their scooters before, but one of the geekiest forms of transportation just got even geekier. The imaginatively named Geek Wheels scooter possesses more hardware than you can imagine, with a ginormous rear-mounted antenna, Garmin GPS unit, WiFi module, OTA TV tuner / FM tuner, high-resolution webcam, full-fledged Linux-based computer and an 8-inch touch panel to boot. The most amazing part? The creators have promised to provide regular updates and a how-to guide in short order. Make sure you invest in a high-quality helmet, alright? [Source: Thought Lab]

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LG Display holds the honor of developing the first TFT roll-printing technology in the world, with the potential to replace the photolithography process in due time. For the uninitiated, the photolithography process is used in TFT-LCD fabrication to form patterns on the TFT and color filter substrate. This requires a whole set of complex processes, including huge and costly equipment. With roll-printing technology, the complex set of processes used to form the required patterns can be proceeded at once, resulting in reduced material and equipment costs as well as a shortened production time where TFT LCDs are concerned. This green technology will also reduce the use of chemicals in the photolithography process. For those who want to see it in action, you can view it at the SID (Society of Information Display) 2008 which will be held from May 20 through 22 in Los Angeles, California

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From what we’ve seen, the British military is pretty savvy on its robotics. Apparently mechanical beings aren’t integrated enough, however, as the British Ministry of Defense has launched its first ever Grand Challenge, which “encourages participants to turn their ideas into prototypes for machines the army can use in urban environments.”

The six finalists that were chosen each received around $600,000 in order to construct their contraptions, and this August, we’ll see an unmanned buggy that can analyze a gunman’s movements, a self-propelled, remote-controlled camera and minuscule helicopters used for reconnaissance missions. Best of all, these creations won’t just be propped up on some shiny display — oh no, they’ll be taking part in a mock battle in Copehill Down, with even more loot and an enviable trophy on the line. [Source: PhysOrg]

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NTT DoCoMo will go about redeveloping the LG Prada cell phone in time for a June release in Japan. You will be able to enjoy a (proclaimed) intuitive, full size touch screen display complete with haptic feedback for improved usability, a function which kicks in whenever the user touch the screen in order to perform an operation. In addition, you get a 2 megapixel German-made Schneider-Kreuznach lens and auto-focus capability which helps capture better photos than a standard camera phone ever could. Other features like a 7.2Mbps data transmission support and a full 3″ browser helps make your mobile Internet experience complete. Phones in Japan are way more advanced that what we have here Stateside, so it remains to be seen whether this will be able to make a splash in the market when released.

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Filed under: Video Games

You can learn just about anything from video games at this point. Non-profits use them to teach immigration law, budding rock musicians can use them learn to play guitar, and the Army even uses games to recruit and train people.

Now the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is getting in on the action with three games of its own in which trainees play a rookie intelligence analyst who has to solve a series of problems and avert crises, without weapons of course. The three games — ‘Rapid Onset,’ ‘Vital Passage,’ and ‘Sudden Thrust’ — teach the fundamentals of intelligence analysis through exercises involving an attack on an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf, the purchase of an aging Soviet aircraft carrier by China, and a the rescuing of a hijacked natural gas tanker in New York Harbor.

The DIA hopes these custom video games will make training easier and cheaper, especially as they’re asked to train 2,000 combat military personnel deployed overseas where classrooms and instructors are in limited availability. [Source: Wired]

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JVC has rolled out its new RA-P30 iPod Audio System that comes complete with the following :-

• Stereo speakers with 3D surround sound
• FM radio
• Alarm clock
• Remote control
• AUX

Available in silver and black this June, there is no word on whether it will be available outside of Japan just yet.

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Filed under: Audio/Video

If you’ve got a PSP-2000 and a hankering for some VoIP on the run, Sony has finally brought its Skype-friendly PSP headset to US retail. Unfortunately, it won’t work with those original fatty PSPs, and at $30 you’ve gotta ask yourself how much you’ll really be using it for — the original price was set at $20. That said, it’s undoubtedly the easiest way to get up and running with Skype and in-game voice chat on the PSP, since it used to require two separate accessories to pull it off. Oh, and if you’re Skype curious, be sure to check out the how-to guide over at PSP Fanboy. [Source: PSP Fanboy]

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Water resistance treadmills has gone up another notch, but this time the beneficiaries won’t be humans but dogs. It makes me wonder whether dogs aren’t getting enough exercise these days, considering us humans ourselves are suffering from an obese epidemic in developed countries. Most of the time, fat people tend to rear fat dogs, and the same applies for fit and trim folks who love bringing their pets out with them for funs. Guess the water resistance treadmill for dogs is a shortcut to a healthy and happy dog.

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Filed under: Audio/Video, TV

Sure now we get live HD from the ISS like it’s nothing, but much of the last half century of space exploration has never been seen by most in anything other than grainy analog broadcasts. That’ll change in June once When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions debuts on Discovery Channel, drawing from more than 150 hours of NASA footage, called a cross between ‘The Right Stuff‘ and EHD fave ‘Planet Earth.’ The Orlando Sentinel mentions the new doc is part of a push to ensure funding to speed further space explorations, as long as they provide more great HD opportunities we’re all for it. Look for the Blu-ray boxed set July 24 for $79.95. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

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Diamond Simulation has a new generation of flight simulators that fall under the wings (no pun intended) of D-SIM-NG. These simulators will comprise of newer and more powerful P2/P3 software, a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, the Tropos 1000 visual system and the True Environment ATC simulation program. The Tropos holds the distinction of being the only image generator developed using off-the-shelf graphic processors that is able to generate runway lighting realistically. This won’t be available to the masses as it will probably be way out of the average household’s budget, but it makes me sleep better knowing that folks trained to fly planes are given the very best equipment possible.

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