LED

Trippy ambience gadgets move beyond outer space

When I was a kid, we had those gadgets sold in the "well-being" section of Bed Bath & Beyond--you know, alongside foot massagers and home-spa kits and other things that I never thought anyone actually bought--and their whole schpiel was that they'd play you the soothing sounds of forests at night, crashing waves, chirping songbirds, or something else that was supposed to block out your neighbor's annoying dog. Or kids. Or garage chemistry lab.

But now, apparently, the Digital Age of Excess 2.0 demands that everything be a little bit fancier and more ridiculous than … Read more

Samsung LCDs promise six-figure contrast

(Update 11-14-07) Since this post first published, we have reviewed the 46-inch model from each series described below. For complete details check out the full reviews of the Samsung LN-T4671F and the Samsung LN-T4681F . For further information on the company's less-expensive lineup of flat-panel LCD HDTVs, check out our roundup.

Samsung LN-T71F series

The big step-up feature for this series is a 120Hz refresh rate, which is said to cut down on the motion blur sometimes seen by sharp-eyed viewers in fast-moving scenes -- although in our tests of 60Hz LCDs, motion blur hasn't been an issue. Samsung'… Read more

When trends collide: LED drumsticks

Regular readers of this space may know that we've developed a mild fascination with drums, especially those of the digital variety. We've also come to realize that we have something of an obsession with LEDs. (Clearly, some of us at Crave don't lead very interesting lives.)

But in our unfailing devotion to report all trends, especially when they converge, we feel obligated to pass this item along: Behold the LED drumsticks. While musicians interviewed by Popgadget appreciated the blue glow of their tips, they unfortunately expressed doubt over the sticks' ability to perform in "heavy hitting&… Read more

Sun Jar lights up with a solar glow

Tobias Wong was probably the kid who kept lightning bugs in a jar for far too long.

He's designed a nifty gadget for summer that doesn't require electricity, candles or the imprisonment of bugs.

It's the Sun Jar from SuckUK for $40.

Leave the mason jar in the sun and a solar cell inside the jar absorbs the solar light and charges its companion battery. You then have 5 hours of lovely glowing illumination that evening. A light sensor turns the LED lamp on when it gets dark and, if need be, off when the sun comes … Read more

Displays have a long way to go

Today I take my lead from a Reuters article that describes two alternative display technologies that may some day replace (or at least augment) LCDs in mainstream computer systems.

Both are on the market today. OLED (organic light-emitting display) technology, used on some cellphones, creates what amounts to an array of tiny LEDs. This approach is theoretically superior to the way LCDs work, which is to combine a white backlight with colored filters and tiny shutters (the liquid crystals) for each pixel. All the light generated by the OLED is visible to the user, but most of the light in … Read more

Russian government shuts AllofMP3

The Russian government has agreed to shut down Web site AllofMP3, which offers downloadable MP3 songs for a significant discount--20 cents per song or less--compared with stores such as Apple's iTunes.

The site was controversial because it paid royalties to a Russian organization that was not recognized by the record industry. In 2005, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) filed suit in Russian court to shut the site down, but its request was denied by Russian prosecutors. Now, apparently under pressure from U.S. trade representatives, who are pressing for stricter copyright enforcement before agreeing to admit … Read more

LED dress leaves us in the dark

We thought this LED dress would be the subject of immediate mockery, considering our view on the infamous "Illuminated Handbag" some months back. But those who have far more fashion sense than us apparently think otherwise.

The lighted garment, which will reportedly be available only on the Japanese market later in the year, would apparently be de rigueur for club-wear, as far as Shiny Shiny is concerned. We'll stick to the kind of apparel we know--like solar-powered fan hats.

Hourglass ditches sand for LEDs

If you insist on joining the LED parade but don't carry a purse or work in a coal mine, there's still hope.

The inaccurately named "Electric Sand Timer" can be used in place of the traditional hourglass, programmable in increments of 1, 5 and 10 minutes, according to Newlaunches.

Why anyone would need one, of course, is anyone's guess. All we know is that, if a gadget has LEDs, someone will surely buy it.

New 13-inch Dell laptop leaked

It's getting pretty hard to keep a secret these days, especially when it comes to laptops. Eagle-eyed bloggers already managed to rain on the Santa Rosa parade in early May, and we've since seen leaked laptops from Sony and Lenovo.

The latest unplanned product announcement comes from Dell, where Engadget has managed to get their hands on some promo literature for the upcoming Dell XPS m1330, a new 13-inch laptop. Purported highlights include:

13.3-inch LED backlit screen 32GB SSD hard drive WWAN (Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T) 802.11n Wi-Fi HDMI output Slot-loading DVD drive

The … Read more