Archive for August, 2008
Posted on Aug 30, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:36 am
While KNGT’s icom MK1 in car computer will be gracing dashboards across Asia later this year, before the end of 2008, American drivers will be able to get in on the fun, too, thanks to Clarion’s MiND.The MiND, which looks like a dashboard-based GPS, is a car computer that offers drivers a 4.8-inch touchscreen, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of flash memory, a WiFi connection, and the ability to access GPS, YouTube, MySpace, Google Maps, and weather forecasts while driving. The device can also come with you out of the car. No pricing details are available yet.While GPS devices seem a possible platform for the deployment of web-updated content networks like FrameChannel, a dashboard-based PC running Linux, like the ClarionMiND, seems even more likely.
Posted on Aug 27, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:20 am
The convergence of set top boxes and web-delivered content continues. It’s been a hot topic at this blog for months since it seems only natural that Internet-connected set top boxes (from game consoles like to Wii or Xbox 360 to media devices like the Roku) will expand their offerings to include not just audio or video content, but also things like photos, sports scores, news, and other items updated frequently over the web.
This latest push towards greater convergence of the Internet and the living room comes in the form of the BD300, a Blu-ray disc player from LG that also supports streaming of Watch Instantly movies from Netflix.
The BD300, which debuts in September for under $500, shows that LG understands why it makes sense to connect your TV to the Internet through a box like the BD300. Here’s hoping they’ll see the wisdom in expanding the kinds of web-updated content the BD300 supports.
Posted on Aug 25, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:11 am
Lifesource is debuting a wireless personal health monitoring system that uses monitors, software, and USB to track your health.
The three products – Wireless Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor, Wireless Precision Scale, and Wireless Activity Monitor – combine to track your weight, activity, and blood pressure and transmit that data wirelessly to a computer running the correct software.
No word on price or availability yet, but it’s a neat idea for sure, especially as the need for Americans to become more health conscious grows.
Looking at the system – which also uses the Actihealth web service – makes me immediately think that it could be a great fit for digital picture frames and wireless gizmos, too.
While it’s terrific to have the data reported back to your PC, we all expect there to be more network-connected screens throughout the house in the future. What if those screens also had access to this data so anywhere in the house you could get an instant glimpse at your blood pressure or the distance you’ve walked that day? Having a screen in the kitchen with your health information might influence your menu choices or in the bathroom could motivate you in the morning.
Tip of the hat to Engadget
Posted on Aug 22, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:11 am
And no, I don’t mean a dashboard on your computer. I mean the one in your car.
The icom MK1 is a Windows XP car PC with a nearly 7-inch LCD, WiFi connection, mobile TV tuner, 40 or 80 GB hard drive, and 2 GB of RAM. And it’s designed to fit into your dashboard.
I’ve opined in this space before that devices like in-car GPS systems may soon expand to include support for other kinds of software, such as FrameChannel. With the icom MK1, you don’t have to wait for GPS manufacturers to change their offerings – this is a full-fledged car PC.
Apparently the WiFi connectivity will be supplied by providers with wide-area coverage, so users aren’t getting dumped off networks every block.
The downside? KNGT’s site is mostly in Korean (I’m pretty sure), and there’s no English translation or word on price, so expect this to show up in Asia first. A car PC might be the next neat way to trick out your car, though.
Tip of the hat to Engadget.
Posted on Aug 20, 2008 by Sam Costello at 2:11 am
Crave reports on a neat kiosk available in the UK that allows friends and family to record video greetings, as well as write text and upload photos, for newlyweds. All of those greetings are then burned to DVD and given to the newly happy couple.
While that’s a neat idea, what if it were taken a step beyond the DVD? What if the company gave the newlyweds a digital picture frame that constantly displayed web-delivered content created by their friends and family?
Rather than having to pop in a DVD when you wanted to relive those memories, in this scenario, a screen on the wall would constantly be rotating through those cherished moments. And, if the content was hosted online, it could be updated with audio, video, and photos from the wedding, honeymoon, or other important occasions.
So, with this idea, plus a digital frame and a web connection, voila – instant, digital, up-to-date wedding album!
Posted on Aug 18, 2008 by Sam Costello at 5:34 am
There’s a new stadium being built for the Oakland A’s and, in keeping with the Bay Area’s reputation as a technology leader, its builders are considering installing network-connected LCDs at every seat.
While that sounds like an expensive proposition, and one that could include a lot of upkeep costs, it also offers some intriguing possibilities.
After all, a network-connected screen like this could show up-to-the-minute stats and scores, highlights, provide a way to order food from your seat, and much more.
The question, as with any system like this, will be the software. How will this content be delivered to the screens? Will it be a closed network specific to the A’s stadium or could an MLB-wide network that pushes content across the web, not just from an in-stadium server, generate some real possibilities for innovation? For instance, what if spectators could upload their own photos from cell phones for display during the game?
Though the installation of these screens is by no means definite, it’s an intriguing idea that if developed properly could easily enhance the experience of taking in a game.
