Logitech introduces cross-eyed XY stereo microphones for your walkman or ipod recording pleasures. The XY technique of placing two mics together, pointing in contrasting directions, gives excellent field separation while eliminating phase problems -- and it also looks pretty cool. Exactly which of those benefits Logitec had in mind when developing the LIC-WMREC03P (for Sony's Walkman) and LIC-iREC03P (for the iPod/iPhone) microphone attachments is unknown to us, but it certainly looks a fair bit more impressive than last year's LIC-iREC01. The devices have a frequency response of 20Hz to 16kHz, sport a pair of simple toggles for adjusting sound levels, offer 3.5mm and USB inputs, and come with a pair of wind socks if things get breezy -- or if they just don't look pudgy enough for you. Both are expected to hit Japan in January, each at an expected price of ¥7,980 (or about $84). [Via Akihabara News]
Just as it's starting to seem like MEMS motion sensor technology is gaining more widespread use, we're now hearing rumblings of activity from the developers of its eventual successor: NEMS (Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems). To contextualize this discussion (and to give laypeople a shot at understanding), MEMS sensors are the magic behind the Wii MotionPlus as well as a stunning tech demo recently conducted on a Toshiba TG01. The nascent nano version promises even greater sensitivity, and now scientists from TU Delft in the Netherlands claim they have successfully measured the influence of a single electron on an 800nm-long carbon nanowire. Just detecting such an event is a feat in itself, while the ability to measure its effects can be used in a huge range of ways: from transportation and medicine to ultra-sensitive gaming controllers. While accurate comparisons between the Dutch breakthrough and current generation sensors cannot yet be drawn, we can confidently say that this marks an important step toward making our dreams of playing a nanoscale piano a gargantuan reality.
Guess there's no one who haven't used a ruler which have pointings running along the edge of the ruler, but have any one saw a ruler thats digital. Yeah you have heard it correctly, designer Shay Shafranek recently came up with this new concept that adds a bit of newfangled technology to and old fashioned wooden ruler. The secret, it seems, is a line of tiny metal points running along the edge of the ruler, which can detect when you touch 'em with a pencil and display the exact measurement on the LED display discreetly hidden inside. Better yet, the ruler can apparently store measurements and add 'em up as you go along, eliminating the need for any pesky remembering or math. Of course, it is still just a concept, and there's no indication that Shafranek has any commercial plans for it just yet
[Via Technabob]
Sure, you can get a relatively compact camera with a nice built-in 10x, 15x or even 20x optical zoom, but where's the fun in that? This new so-called Avatar Digital Binocular Sports Camera, however will never be saddled with labels like "boring" or "practical". Its big selling point, as you can see, is 21x optical zoom that gets further bolstered by a blinding 40x digital zoom, all of which apparently must be managed without such niceties as auto focus. On the business end of the equation is a 2-megapixel camera with a 2.5-inch LCD, which just so happens to also double as a ful-fledged media player with a curiously familiar-looking interface. Its available to order right now for just $128 or even less if you buy'em in bulk. Never to early to start that holiday shopping.