Ropid Robot! can run and jump on your command!

You got to admit that Ropid the robot looks like it should have been in the recently released Astro Boy movie. By the way, that movie is actually pretty good, just so you know.

Ropid is the creation of a Kyoto based group known as Robo Garage, and it has the ability to run and jump. By the way, the robot is programmed to jump with a vocal command. In other words, if you say “jump”, then the robot may not say “how high”, but it will jump as high as it can, which is 8 centimeters high.

That’s not bad considering Ropid measures 38 centimeters tall, and weighs 16 kilograms. The robot has 29 joints and four gyro-sensors, and is powered by a lithium-ion battery. By the way, the vocal commands will also run when you tell it to run, and stop when you say stop. Now if it could run and jump, perhaps it could beat the Olympic long jump record.

So far, there is no plans to market this guy, but I think that Wowwee would be all over this thing. Ropid’s movements aren’t as fluid as say, a human, but it is enough to beat the snot out of any toy robot out in the market right now. Now, if only it could fold up into a car or something.

(source)

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Magnetic Elecom Memory Card Reader

Elecom has announced some new gadgets for you to enjoy, one of which is this card reader.  This cute little card reader will allow for you to keep your desk tidy and look great doing it.  As many additions as sometimes get added onto your computer, it’s always nice to find a small USB gadget that doesn’t cause even more clutter within your work area.

This one comes with a magnet on the back so that it can attach to metal objects you might have around.  Such as the side of a computer case, a magnetic dry erase board or even would attach to a mini fridge if you keep one of those underneath your desk.  Plus to top it off this card reader comes in great bright colors that’ll make it stand out from the boring gray and black electronics.  Although you’ll have to decide if the $27 price tag is a bit much for a card reader.

(source)

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HP Pavilion dv8-1000 Entertainment PC is Home Entertainment in a Laptop

It’s big, it’s got an integrated subwoofer, and it comes with genuine Windows & Home Premium. The Pavilion dv8 Notebook PC from HP is all about home entertainment at high quality. With an expansive 18.4-inch screen, it’s pushing into the desktop replacement category and with high-definition, an ultra-widescreen display and a built-in TV tuner it looks like it’s also trying to replace your TV. Oh and there’s a blu-ray disk reader as well.

The HP Pavilion dv8 Notebook PC also comes with the world’s first and only green battery. This Eco Battery can sustain over 1,000 recharges and delivers like-new performance for three years. That means fewer batteries end up in landfills! Design and style wise, the HP Pavilion dv8 Notebook PC is stunningly crafted with the chic HP Espresso Imprint pattern. The sophisticated design extends to the notebook interior with an expansive BrightView infinity display.

And yes it does have the brains to power all the entertainment challenges. The Pavilion dv8 runs on an Intel Core i7 processor and comes with a NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M graphics card with 1GB video RAM, plus the 640GB hard drive, more than enough power for even the most demanding entertainment needs. It also supports WiFi 802.11a/g and Bluetooth connectivity. At a glance, other features include 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards, 4 USB 2.0 (4th shared with eSATA port), 1 HDMI connector, 1 eSata + USB connector, 1 VGA port, 1 RJ45 ethernet connector, expansion port, 2 headphones-out, 1 mic-in, 1 IEEE 1394, remote control infrared port, cable docking connector, 1 ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34), HP Pavilion Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone, HP Mobile ScrollSmart Remote Control, and Altec Lansing speakers with Dolby Home Theater.

In addition to the new dv8, HP also announced several updates to its current HP Pavilion dv6 and HP Pavilion dv7 Entertainment Laptop PCs. Both the mid-size 15.6- inch dv6 and the larger 17.3-inch dv7 will offer users the choice of either the new Intel Core i7 processor or the latest AMD Turion II ultra Dual Core processor. Furthermore, NVIDIA graphics and DDR3 SDRAM will be available on select dv6 and dv7 models.

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W-100 – The Wristphone from Hyundai

W-100 is the most advanced watchphone that has multiple features integrated in it. The pretty looks and functionalities surely make it the best among watchphones available now.

Besides being a GSM phone and a digital watch, W-100 owns much more features to be highlighted. The outstanding functionalities include Bluetooth, 1.3 MegaPixel camera, integrated mp3 player and video player.

This watchphone from Hyundai has a touch screen and a microSD memory for storing your favourite mp3s. W-100 is actually a modified version of the prototype created by CECT.

The W-100 wristphone is available in English as well as Chinese. Final word on price is not yet released though.

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Epson PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL now shipping

Talk about projectors and some of the more notable names will probably pop up during tehe conversation, where we’re pretty sure that Epson is one of them as they are currently the number-one selling projector brand worldwide, and aims to leverage on that position by announcing the PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL projector that has already started shipping to Pro AV dealers. This is no ordinary projectors, since it will boast a high-bright, WUXGA projector that comes in 1,920 x 1,200 native resolution while being accompanied by a super high price tag of $20,499, placing it well out of reach for ordinary home owners (save for the select few who are insanely rich or have just struck the national lottery).

The Epson PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL is touted to be the industry’s only 3LCD WUXGA projector, where it is capable of delivering outstanding image quality, powerful performance and unqualified value which will cater for auditorium venue applications. Meant to work for large venue applications in corporations, education, and houses of worship, the PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL also holds the distinction of being Epson’s brightest projector to date, full well able to roll out 6,000 lumens color light output and 6,000 lumens white light output, accompanied by other specifications and features including 5,000:1 contrast ratio, an innovative liquid cooling system, durable optical chips and a dual-lamp design which will bring image quality, performance and reliability up another notch.

Some of the features that the projector comes with were meant to reduce the amount of time and money spent on maintenance, lowering the frequency as well. You get easy access to lamps and filters, where it ought to serve you flawlessly if you follow the recommended 10,000-hour filter cleaning schedule. Apart from that, the Z8000WUNL will also boast Epson’s high-aperture 3-chip 3LCD technology for clear and crisp images.

Press Release

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